Counting Stars
by ACGamer
Summary: When the Atrians crashed on Earth everything in my town changed. Now ten years later seven Atrian teens are being sent to our high school, and everyone here doesn't know what will happen next. Drake/OC
1. Pilot, Part 1

There is one high school that most people in our town go to including Emery and I called, Marshall High. Being the closest high school to the Sector where the Atrians live and because our principal probably wants the publicity, this is the high school they're sending them to, all week people have been talking about how they will fit in, if any of them were hot, or just plain hateful threats about them.

Today is the day they're coming and I don't know how to react, should I be scared? Nervous or maybe even fuming? I brush my brown hair and look into the mirror getting ready to go to school. The sounds of screaming and shouting fill the bathroom and I walk to see where it is coming from, my TV is showing my school with a bunch of protesters holding signs. Even the police and soldiers stand outside the school with guns in their hands. Now my nerves kick in and I turn off the TV seeing it go from a picture to blackness on the screen.

"Hurry up, Rachel," My mom shouts. "You'll be late!" I go back into the bathroom to finish brushing my then run out grabbing my backpack. My mom comes to me carrying my science book with a smile on her face.

"Thanks." I grab the book out of her hands and put it in my backpack. She still stands there leaning on the table with her hand holding her up. Her brown curly hair sits on her shoulders and she stares at me in thought. I pack the rest of my books and look at her; she snaps out of her thought and looks at me.

"Are you nervous about today?" She asks biting her lips very quickly I could barely notice.

"Yes, I just saw on the news what is outside of my school. It looks like they're ready to kill the Atrians coming right when they get off the bus." She shakes her head and I zip up my backpack; putting one strap over my shoulder and head for the door.

"Remember, Emery is going to meet you with Lukas!" She shouts from the kitchen.

"Okay!" I walk out shutting the door and start jogging to school. I put in my ear buds and turn on my music and pick my pace up faster after checking the time. 'Please don't let me be late!' I thought repeatedly. I looked around seeing the tall green leafed trees drifting in the wind causing me to take a fresh breath. In turn around another corner seeing the yellow and black stripes of a school bus drive past me on the next street. I start to sprint checking the time over and over again, part of me doesn't want to be late and another part of me wants to see the Atrians arrive. Anxiety and excitement for some reason strives me to run faster and faster to my destination, I wish I had a car right now. I see Marshall High in the distance and a smile of relief comes over my face, I can see the protestors' signs and almost hear the shouting the whole area gives off. When I run on the driveway to the school I see the whole area clearly, the police block off the protestors from going into the school and clear the street for the bus's arrival. I see Lukas who waves to me and I wave back, I start to jog and he starts walking to me. I stop and put my hands on my knees panting hoping for water. I look up to see Lukas staring at me weirdly.

"What were you doing?" He asks chuckling a little bit. I take a breath in so I can talk to him and stand up wiping my forehead.

"I ran here, do you have any water?" He pulls out a bottle and I grab it out of his hand almost drinking it all. He just shakes his head and smiles staring out at the distance.

"I should time you next time, who knows you could run for track." We both smile and laugh until we see a protestor coming at us. He is an old man with white hair and glasses carrying a sign that says, 'Hatrians' on it.

"I'm sorry for you children; this is the end for us all! They will kill us all!" Lukas stands in front of me and pushes the guy away. Then two policemen come and grab the man putting him back in the group of protestors. We both give each other a look and shake our heads.

"Crazy," Is all Lukas says. I nod my head in agreement.

"So, where is Emery?" He asks. I shrug my shoulders but I then see Emery staring at the crowd of protestors. I point to her and we both start walking towards her, Lukas touches her shoulder and we all walk inside the school. Everyone is talking, staring outside the windows looking at the crowd outside, or leaning over the arm rails waiting to see the Atrians come in.

"How is Julia?" I ask Emery.

"She is doing well, I just left the hospital and she told me to tell you hi." She says as I check the time on my phone.

"Well tell her I said hi, I going to my locker. Bye." Lukas and Emery both wave and keep walking forward. When I go to my locker I see my friend, Caroline standing in front of it waving hi. I walk to her smiling and she begins to talk.

"I can't believe they're coming!" She exclaims.

"I want to try and date one," She says moving away from the locker so I can open it. I give her a look and just roll my eyes at her placing my fingers to open the locker.

"What will your parents think?" I ask putting my books in.

"I don't care what they say, I saw the news this morning and one at the very end looked so cute." She says. I grin a little bit, and I get shoved into the door causing it to shut.

"They are here!" Two guys shout as they scream running by us. Caroline grabs my hand and takes me up a set of stairs to see their arrival. Everyone clears the area by the door and moves up stairs waiting for them to enter. Caroline and I get a good view of the door and stand on the less crowded side. Everyone gets quiet and no one moves after hearing the bus stop outside. I feel Caroline jumping and grab her arm because of my anxiety. The doors open and the Atrians walk in, first a girl and a boy, then the rest of them follow behind a tall and masculine boy.

They all look up at us as we look down on them, some people taunt them by bringing their fingers up to their heads and some give them glares of hatred. They all have kinds of tattoo on their faces and necks; I look at the masculine one and see he has a tattoo on his neck. He spots me looking at him and then looks away at the other people next to us, I take a short breath as they proceed to walk away and out of sight but my eyes kept looking at the strong one for some reason and I don't know why.


	2. Pilot, Part 2

We all enter the classroom in hushed voices talking about the Atrians we just saw. Caroline and I walk to our desks in the back of the class setting our backpacks down in silence. Soon, Emery and Lukas walk in sitting at their desks and eventually everyone comes in waiting for the teacher to begin. She calls role call and of course everyone is here, she writes something down then looks up at us.

"Attention everyone, Principal Weston is going to give a message about our new transfers, the Atrians," She says looking at all of us.

"More like Martians." Someone mumbles behind me. The guy next to him chuckles and the teacher stares at me with her hawk eyes.

"What did you say Ms. Whitehill?" She asks. All eyes turn to me I just look down and then look at her.

"I didn't say anything." I reply. Now everybody looks at the teacher waiting for her comment.

"See me after class. Now everybody turn your attention to the center of the room." I roll my eyes and look towards the center. The guy behind me stretches his legs and I feel his breath behind my ear.

"Thank, Rachel." He moves away and the lights grow dim. When I feel his foot touching mine I step on it and hear him grunt a little bit. I turn around to see him holding his foot and his friend laughing.

"You're welcome." He glares at me and Taylor laughs but stops after Principal Weston appears in his hologram form.

"I'm sure you noticed increased security we don't anticipate any violence but the guard are here for your protection, and the Atrians. There will be consequences if you harm the Atrians, the guards are armed. But just remember this mostly, behind the walls of this school they are just like you… students." The hologram disappears and the lights come back to their regular brightness and we all pull out our books ready to begin the lesson.

_30 Minutes Later…_

"Your homework is to read Chapter 5." The bell rings and Caroline touches me on the shoulder and leaves, shortly after Emery and Lukas walking towards me as well.

"It wasn't me; it was those idiots behind me. Please don't tell mom or dad." Emery looks at me biting her lip.

"Okay, but you owe me." I nod my head and she leaves with Lukas.

"Good luck." He whispers. I roll my eyes and continue to her desk silently. She looks up at me with her glasses on her nose and a pen in her hand.

"Do you know why you're here?" She asks. I gulp, straightening my posture and fixing my backpack.

"I didn't say anything. It was those two guys behind me." I say pointing at the desks where the guys sat.

"You are doing well in my class, Rachel. I'll let you off the hook but you'll have to do one thing." I look at her with my hand holding me up on her desk.

"What is it?"

"You'll have to help out at the library." I start smiling and trying to hold in my laughing but she gives me a look and the smile disappears from my face.

"You can go now," She looks down and continues writing and as I head to the door I turn around.

"We have a library?" She looks up at me and then I swing the door open and leave her classroom. Lukas comes running up to me.

"What did she say?" He asks walking alongside me.

"I have to help at the library." I reply. He laughs but stops shortly after. "Hold on, we have a library?

"That's what I said, but I ran out the classroom before she could say anything." He shakes his head.

"I got to go, see you next class." I wave bye and he runs to his locker. Then, I hear the sound of someone hitting a locker; I look up and see a group of people surrounding lockers. The Atrians. They all stare at the graffiti on each of their lockers in disbelief, but the one I saw earlier, stares at the floor looking furious. He probably hit the locker, I don't blame him, I would probably made too if someone drew on my locker. They all are having a tough time, not even tough more like harsh. He looks up and sees me and looks away, I walk to my next class passing all of them up.

_5 Minutes Later…_

In our next class, because we didn't say the pledge this morning, we say it now. I look to my left with my hand on my heart at the Atrians who now have the same class as me. I say the pledge and when the flag disappears we all sit down but then I hear Taylor talking and then hear Lukas and Emery talking about some plant. I look to my right and see a guy talking to the Atrians.

"You eat our food; wear our clothes, breath our air, but you can't even bother to pledge our flag." He says looking at all of them.

"We're not citizens." The muscular one says. I see his tattoo more clearly now, it starts at his ear and goes down his neck. He really looks like a human more than an alien that is if you didn't know what Atrians looked like. Emery looks at the conversation too; I see that she stares at one in particular, the one in front of the muscular one. I have to learn their names; I can't keep calling him muscular. I'm so stupid sometimes. I slap my forehead and the people next to me stare and look away, I look down at the syllabus our teacher handed out wishing the day will end.

_20 Minutes Later…_

The library is very hard to find, considering it is at the back of the school and it seems no one visits or knows it even exists. Though sometimes I see people walk back here never knowing where they are going. The library is very large considering that people don't come, it has a ramp leading upstairs to the room where the books are stored and tables and shelves of books are all on the first floor. The librarian, Ms. Cragston is old and can barely talk, every time she says something you have to ask her to repeat it. You can't have a conversation with her without saying the word 'what' at least ten times. She tells me to stack books on the shelves that she can't reach or simply can't get to during the day.

"When can I go home?" I shout walking with a pile of books in my hands.

"What dear?!"

"I said when I can go home?!" I shout back feeling annoyance. She really had to make me help in the library.

"In five minutes!" She shouts back. I start picking up my pace and stack all the books in my hands as fast as I can hoping she'll let me leave early. I work my way around a bookshelf and see out the corner of my eye someone sitting at a table. I look and see it is the musc- Atrian I saw earlier today. He looks out the glass window sitting on the windowsill with a book in his lap. He looks at the book and gets up walking over to the checkout desk. I move behind the shelf hoping he doesn't see me.

"Is this all you want?" Ms. Cragston asks.

"Yes." He replies. I look in between two books to see their conversation. Ms. Cragston looks on her computer and hands him the book.

"Would you like to meet my assistant?" She asks. I grit my teeth and close my eyes irritated, all because of those stupid guys.

"No than-,"

"Rachel!" She cuts him off and calls my name and I close the books and drop behind the bookshelf. I hear her footsteps and move to the other side of the shelf hoping she doesn't find me or see me. I peer around to see him still standing there, voices come from the hallways and he turns around, grabs his book and darts out the door.


	3. Pilot, Part 3

I sat down with my mom, and Emery eating Chinese food. My thoughts are still on that Atrian guy, I got to get his name somehow. I turn the next page of Chapter 5 and read on silently.

"Your daughter will tell you exactly why she's not devouring that Shrimp Lo Main." I look up and see my mom holding a fortune from a fortune cookie pointing it towards Emery. I smile and continue reading eating my rice with my fork.

"It's nothing," Emery says playing with her food. "I just… was thinking a lot about that boy at the shed today." 'What boy?' I thought to myself eating a forkful of rice.

"What about him?" My mom asks.

"About how if he hadn't tried to protect me he'd still be alive," Emery says in a sad tone.

"Not everyone can be saved baby, sometimes there's a greater plan at work." My mom says trying to comfort her.

"What boy?" I ask drinking from my glass of water. They both look at me and I give them a weird look back closing my book.

"I understand, just between you two." I say grabbing my book and leaving the table.

"What took you so long coming home today?" My mom asks. I stop like a statue and turn around to see my mother waiting for an answer.

"I volunteered to help at the library." I say gulping.

"Teenagers using libraries, hmm."

"What that's supposed to mean?" Emery asks.

"Well, I thought you guys and your technology are so advanced you didn't read anymore." She says drinking from her glass.

"Trust me mom, some people still read." I say walking away thinking about the Atrian taking his book and leaving the library.

_The Next Day…_

I'm eating my lunch and finishing my homework early so I don't have to do it late again like last night. I look up and see the Atrians all sitting at one table together wearing their clothes the same colors like yesterday, gray, black, and white. All of them are there except the Atrian I saw yesterday, I scan the cafeteria to find him standing getting his food. He picks something with carrots, grabs it and walks back to the table with the rest of the Atrians. He wears a white t-shirt revealing his arms and shows a tattoo on his right arm, he looks like an average teenager guy from a distance. When he leaves I see Taylor walk up to Emery with her phone in hand. Taylor tells her something and Emery pulls out her phone with Taylor tapping hers against it and walks off.

"Hey!" I jump almost out of my chair startled. I turn around and see Caroline behind me and comes to sit down next to me.

"You scared me!" I exclaim hitting her on the shoulder.

"Well, I'm sorry it's just Taylor is inviting everyone to a party, she told me to come." 'That's what she was doing on Emery's phone' I thought.

"Are you invited?" I ask her.

"No." She says sounding depressed.

"Well if I get invited you can come with me." I tell her trying to make her feel better.

"Thanks, but I can't come anyways, I going to see my grandparents." I nod taking in everything she says.

"Hey, you're Rachel right? Emery's sister?" I hear an unfamiliar voice and look up to see Taylor standing over me.

"Yeah?" She picks up my phone and does the same thing she did to Emery's and puts it back on the table.

"Come to the party." She says and walks off to her table and going back on her phone.

"What a coincidence?" Caroline says eating her food. I look up and see Emery standing at a table with an Atrian. It was the same one she stared at yesterday, and he was holding a paper of hers. I look around to see everyone, human and Atrian staring at them. They talk a while but then he walks away from the table and is stopped by the guy, whose name is Eric.

He starts talking to him and then everyone looks at them, a chair screeches against the floor and the Atrian with the white t-shirt gets up with a girl Atrian next to him. He stops in between both of them and crosses his arms telling them something, and then the girl gets in between them ready to punch Eric. The Atrian with the white t-shirt stops her and pulls her back; the Atrians go back to their table with the white t-shirt one holding up a finger to him.

"For a second there, I thought a fight was going to break out." Caroline states looking back and forth at the Atrians and Eric. The bell rings and everybody starts leaving the cafeteria.

"Let's get to class." I say picking up my food and books with Caroline following me behind.

_At the Library…_

"Ms. Cragston, I need the key to the book storage." I say. She looks up from the computer quickly.

"What dear?" She asks. I get up from one of the tables and walk over to her desk.

"I need the key to the book storage!" I shout. She holds her ear and pulls out a key from her desk.

"Why didn't you say so?" I take the key and go up the ramp to the book storage trudging up to the door. When I arrive to the red door, I put the key in and turn it opening the door to rows of books in the dim light. I go to the non-fiction book and pick up a box and walk out of the room and shut the door with my foot. I walk slowly down the ramp hoping that I don't fall over head first; I move to the left of the ramp and go to the non-fiction section.

I start stacking book when out the corner of my eye I see the Atrian standing looking at the books and back up fast causing one book to fall on the ground. I take a sharp breath in and hope he didn't see me. I hear footsteps walking towards me and look to my right and see a hand picking up the fallen book and holding it. 'This is my chance' I thought. 'Don't do it' my mind repeats but my body listens to my thought and without control I move right and see the Atrian standing there. He looks at me and places the book back onto the box.

"You dropped it." He says and turns back to the books he was browsing.

"Thanks." Is all I say. 'Ask his name' my mind chants over and over.

"What's your name?" I blurt out. I feel so stupid right now. He looks at me weirdly putting a book he was holding back.

"What?" He asks.

"What is your name?" I ask again.

"My name is Drake." He says walking past me with a book in his hand. I follow him carrying the pile of books still in my hands.

"Who are you?" He asks.

"I'm Rachel." I reply. We work our way around the library towards Ms. Cragston's desk.

"I usually don't talk to humans." He says. Am I supposed to be offended, is it a joke? How am I supposed to feel? We arrive at Ms. Cragston's desk and he gives her a book which she takes and he gives her the book he had today and she scans it and gives it back to him. He starts walking off towards the exit.

"Oh. Ms. Cragston, can I leave early tomorrow? There is a party I would like to go." I tell her. She just nods her head in understanding.

"You can go." I quickly set the books down and turn around to see Drake standing there at the exit and leaving right when he sees me.


	4. Pilot, Part 4

Today feels good and eerie. Yesterday, I learn his name is Drake, but why did he leave when I asked Ms. Cragston about the party? Where was Emery last night? Many questions are in my mind with so little answers. I feel it and I feel everyone around me is nervous and tense, we just need someone to hit a button and we'll blow. No one looks at the Atrians at all, as if they were regular students coming every day, it is a good thing and the party is tonight and you can see that is what is helping people get through the day.

Caroline didn't show up in homeroom, she called me last night saying they were leaving this morning so I had no one to talk to. I close my locker and start walking to class by myself, I pass by the Atrians' lockers thinking about the first day they came, and the first day I saw Drake.

"Hey, Rachel!" I turn around and see Lukas coming towards me.

"Are you invited to the party tonight?" He asks.

"Yeah, are you?" I ask back.

"Emery is bringing me so I guess you can consider it invited," I shake my head and keep walking.

"Are you okay? You were very quiet this morning." He tells me. I look at him and look back down slowing my pace.

"Yeah I'm fine." I tell him. I don't feel fine at all, I feel sick like I can throw up at any moment. We both walk into class Lukas goes over his desk next to Emery's and I go to my desk. The bell rings and class begins, soon Eric walks in looking pissed off as always since the Atrians came. Then the Atrian that talked to Emery comes in and going to his desk next to the Atrians. I look at Drake and see he looks at me, we both look away and the teacher begins to talk.

_Lunch…_

I go where I normally sit, except it is a lot quieter and distanced from the center of the cafeteria. I see Lukas and Emery walking over to join me. As I look past them I see that guy, Grayson staring at her and look down as soon as I hear Lukas put his backpack on the table. They get settled and start to eat and I just look down at my food feeling sick.

"Are you sure you're okay?" I look up and see Lukas staring at me including Emery. I feel like throwing up even more.

"Yeah." I reply. I see Drake staring at me and when he realizes he sees me he starts to eat. Now I feel bad. I get out of my chair and start walking to the bathroom. I push open the door and stop at the sink with my hands on the counter. The door opens again and Emery enters coming next to me.

"You are not okay. Do you need to go home?" She asks with a caring voice. I shake my head 'no' and just look into the mirror at my reflection.

"Where were you last night?" I ask out of nowhere. She bites her lip and leans on the wall.

"That doesn't matter," She tells me looking down.

"Why?" I ask. "If you can't tell me about this boy in our shed, at least tell me this. You and I both know you didn't just hang out with Julia." She looks at me and sighs.

"Fine, Julia and I went to the Sector…"

"You went to the Sector!" Emery walks over and puts a hand on my mouth. She takes my hand off my mouth and I scan the bathroom making sure we're the only ones in here.

"Yes, we were looking for a special plant that could help Julia." She says.

"Did you find it?" I ask.

"No, Roman, the Atrian I talked to at the cafeteria the other day, said it was a spice not a medicine." She says with tears welling up in her eyes. I walk over to hug her.

"At least, you tried. Let's go back to the cafeteria." She shakes her head and we both proceed to the cafeteria to finish our food.

_At the Party…_

After school, I went home gladly because I didn't have to go the library, I wonder if Drake went there again after school. Anyways, I put on a short red dress with a black jacket over it and some short high heels and went to the party with Emery. When we arrive, fires were scattered everywhere burning in the night and everybody body had a red cup in their hands. Emery taps me on the shoulder pointing at Lukas in the distance, he waves 'hi' and does a dance, we both smile. I turn around and see Grayson with two cups in his hands; I walk away towards Lukas leaving them alone. Lukas hands me a cup when I arrive.

"Thanks." I take a sip feeling the cool liquid run down my throat.

"I'm glad you're feeling better." He says drinking from his cups.

"Yeah I'm fine; I guess I had a bad morning." He nods his head and drinks some more from his cup.

"You want to dance?" He asks doing the disco. I laugh as he starts doing more dances.

"You are so weird," I laugh.

"I know!" He sings. I look at Emery talking to Grayson, I think he likes her.

"Hey!" A voice shouts. I turn around see Taylor looking worried.

"You guys got to see this!" She walks away with everyone following her. Including me, we sprint down a path for a couple of seconds.

"Look what someone did to Brock!" She states. Eric looks at me and passes me up to see what happened. We all look at Brock with his arms tied on a rope to the ground wearing no shirt and his boxers with a sock in his mouth.

"Who did this?" Eric asks the crowd. No one answers.

"Huh, who did this?!" Eric shouts now pacing back and forth. Still no answer. Until someone comes up to Eric taking off his black jacket revealing a white shirt, I look to see their face and it's Drake!

"Just wanted to have a little talk." He says walking up face to face with Eric.

"This ends tonight," Eric says. Drake puts his hand on his shoulder.

"For once we agree." Drake says head-butting him after and punching him causing him to fall on the ground.

"Hey!" Grayson shouts from the crowd. Drake starts pacing in back and forth in front of the crowd with mad eyes.

"We're sick of it! You guys messing with us every day! Its time, it's over this is what's going to happen if you keep messing with us!" He points at Eric on the ground about to kick him until he gets pushed by someone. Roman stands in front of him and everybody in the crowd goes over to help Eric and Brock.

"Roman! What are you doing?" He asks stunned.

"Do you know what they do to you if they found you outside the Sector?" He asks Drake.

"You should be fighting alongside of me instead of being against me!" Drake tells him his voice lowering. Then, the blue and red of police light start flashing, everyone runs in panic away from the party. I see Emery fall to the ground and go over to help her; Roman comes over to us and helps me pick up Emery. I look at Drake who starts backing away; he looks at me almost ashamed and runs into the plants disappearing. Roman grabs my arm and guides me to the jeep next to us with Taylor pushing me in, Emery struggles against Grayson's grip calling Roman to her. He stands trying to decide where to go, and Emery runs to him and they run away behind plants.

"Emery!" I shout in a scared voice. We start driving away with Eric driving and Taylor in the front seat, and Grayson and I in the back. We drive farther and farther away from the party and I feel sick again.

"We have to go back!" I shout to Eric.

"We can't the cops are probably there looking for us!" I look back and sit down as Eric picks up his speed. Grayson comes down next to me with his hand on my shoulder.

"Hey your sister will be okay." He tells me. I only nod my head and look at the road behind us. My only thoughts now are that Drake, Emery, and Roman are safe. When we start to travel on asphalt we all bounce as Eric changes gear.

"Where are we going?" Taylor asks holding on to her seat.

"To my uncle's gas station. The tank is low." He says turning down a street. He speeds up and eventually we arrive at the gas station with no cars around. He pulls next to a pump and we all get out slowly shocked by the events that happened. We sit down next to the pump with my head in my hands, I look up at my surroundings realizing home isn't that far away.

"Hey guys, my house isn't far from here." I tell them. Taylor just sits there, Grayson looks in the distance and Eric has his hand on the gas pump. I sigh and start to walk to my house.

"Hey where are you going?" I turn around and see Eric looking at me.

"I'm going to my house." I say holding my jacket closer.

"Do you want me to drive you, I'm almost done," He says pointing at the pump.

"No thanks, I can walk."

"Just be careful." He says putting the pump back. I nod and start walking away, when I see I am far away enough, I start running to home, frantic. I turn down my street eventually passing up the same trees I saw before and see my house. I run up the driveway and go to the front door opening it and quickly shutting it. I sink down to the ground and start crying, 'Where is Emery?' 'Where are Drake and Roman?' I pull out my phone looking for any messages and all I see is a missed call from my mom. I answer it and hear the words, 'Julia' and 'hospital' I drop my phone to the ground crying even more.


	5. Violent Delights,Violent Ends, Part 1

I eventually found out that Julia did make it, it is a miracle. But I also found out that my father killed the Atrian leader, Nox who is also Roman's dad. The Atrians and humans drift further apart from trusting each but only one question remains, will humans and Atrians ever make peace with each other? An explosion happened one night ago at the Sector no one was hurt, they say it was an Atrian resistance attack for retribution for Nox but who really knows?

The tension keeps on building every day at school some people say that the Atrians could attack homecoming carnival and after seeing Drake at the party it could happen. I don't know if I'm supposed to be afraid of Drake or be a friend to him, when I saw him at the library the day after the party he didn't talk or say anything just stared out the window. I snap out of my thoughts and see Principal Weston appear as a hologram.

"It's been a trying couple of days for our community, our counselors are available should you need to speak to someone. I know you may have concerns but I assure you your safety and wellbeing remain our highest priority…

"And how do we know one of them doesn't try to blow up the school next." Eric says cutting them hologram off.

"The school board is meeting today to discuss heightening security measures as well as whether or not to move forward with tomorrow night's homecoming carnival." Then the hologram goes off.

"I am all for equality but when they start messing with tradition that's when I go turbo bitch!" Taylor announces for everyone to hear.

"You guys murder our leader and you're worried about canceling some weird ritual where you celebrate what? Going home?" Drake says.

"I would celebrate you going home." Taylor tells him and the whole class nods their heads in agreement. I look over at Drake who wears something that looks like a black hoodie that reveals his neck tattoo. I look away but I feel his eyes on me and I ignore them. I see Emery talking to Lukas and a guy joins in on their conversation.

"Hey your dad is a hero," He says. "Nox would've killed that guard if your dad hadn't shown up."

"I don't think that's how it happened." Emery states not looking at the guy.

"I think she lost all credibility the second she took off into the woods." Eric says joining in.

"Well maybe if we waited for her Eric." I say. Eric looks at me turning around in his chair.

"We didn't ask you to join this conversation." He says.

"They didn't ask you to join the conversation either, did they?" I reply. I hear a chuckle and look out the corner of my eye to see it coming from Drake.

"Hey, just give it a rest." Grayson says ending the conversation. The bell rings and we all leave class going out into the halls. I start walking to the doors of the school leaving Emery and Lukas behind. I think about dad and wonder what would've happened if Nox wasn't there at the time my dad was. I feel a strong hand from someone touch my shoulder and turn around to see Drake standing behind me.

"Hey Rachel, I'm sorry you saw what I did at the party." He starts walking away but I stop him by grabbing his arm. I feel his muscles under my hand sending a shiver from me. He turns around waiting for me to speak.

"I'm sorry my dad shot Nox. It was an accident; he wouldn't shoot anyone unless there was a good reason to." He just shakes his head and when I let go of his arm he continues to walk away and I stand there watching him go away to his bus. I walk away but then I hear someone speaking in a microphone, I turn towards the sound and see the meeting that is going on. I quickly walk in and grab a seat behind a man with a black beard and black hair. My dad waves 'hi' to me and the man behind me turns around to look at me.

"You know him?" He asks me.

"Yes." I reply. Why am I talking to this man?

"That man did a great service; Nox is one less Atrian we have to worry about fighting against us." He states pointing to dad then putting his hand down.

"May I ask who you are sir?" He smiles and lifts his hand.

"Robert Vartan, Red Hawk." He tells me. Red Hawk, that's the gang against the Atrians, they drew their symbol on the Atrians' lockers! I shake his hand and the meeting starts with a few words by Officer Beaumont and other members of the school board. Then my dad takes the microphone getting ready to speak.

"Good evening, I'm Ray Whitehill. I will be taking a temporary leave of absence from the force, my colleague Officer Jack Beaumont will be speaking on behalf of the SEU about last night's attack." Officer Beaumont takes the microphone from dad's hands and looks at the audience.

"In order to prevent another incident we will be conducting scheduled pawn searches." He says.

"What about the safety of our kids in school?" A woman stands up asking.

"Each of the Atrian seven submit to a security scan before entering." He replies.

"Though we remind you the seven are not to blame for last night's attack." Principal Weston chimes in.

"This has been a difficult few days, for all of us, but we must now focus on healing relations between our races. Let's not forget that this program presents a unique opportunity for not only our kids but for society as a whole to interact with and learn from the Atrians." Gloria Valdez says. Robert looks down and keeps shaking his head until finally when she's done he gets up to speak.

"I know what I want to learn, how they plan to colonize our planet. We all know that's what they're really here for." He says with his hands in his jacket pockets.

"Mr. Vartan, you've made your views and those of your fellow Red Hawks very clear at these meetings. However the government has no reason to believe…"

"What about the rumors of some of these 'tatties' learn how to remove their marking and embed themselves in our society and our government?" He asks cutting her off. 'They can do that?' I thought to myself.

"We're here to discuss the integration program, not conspiracy theories." She replies. He sits down but then gets back up.

"God said let us make man in our image, after our likeness, and let them have dominion over every creepin' thing that creeps upon the Earth!" He exclaims.

"Mr. Vartan, please take a seat." Gloria Valdez says.

"What about the homecoming carnival?" 'For the love of God, please shut up!" I think listening to her question.

"Ms. Garcia and I have discussed it, we believe the community shall not be deprived of one its most valued traditions." Principal Weston says before being cut off by a member of the school board.

"I think the board should vote on the issue." The guys says quickly sitting down. It goes silent for a moment the Ms. Garcia hold up her microphone.

"All those in favor of the Atrian seven attending homecoming carnival raise your hand." Ms. Garcia says. She raises her hand up but no one else raises theirs.

"So it settled then. The Atrian seven will not be permitted to attend the carnival." Principal Weston states.

"You don't even know them." A girl's voice is heard and every turns to their right, Emery is standing up.

"The Atrian seven, aren't terrorists, their teenagers…"

"Little girl please, you don't know what you're talking about." Robert says holding out his hand.

"Hey watch that's my daughter." Dad says. Robert stands up and leaves the room and I see Lukas recording Emery speaking.

"You say you want to learn from them? But you won't even allow them to come to our carnival? How can they learn to trust us when we don't give them reason to?" All the school board members look at each other in silence.


	6. Violent Delights,Violent Ends, Part 2

Today everyone is talking about if the school board is letting the Atrians come to the homecoming carnival. In the hallways hushed voices are everywhere but are soon stopped by Principal Weston coming on the intercom.

"Attention students, after much discussion the school board has decided to reverse the decision, and allow the Atrian seven to attend tonight's homecoming carnival." He says. Eric slams his locker startling everyone in the hallway and soon they start walking to their classes. I see Emery go another way towards Roman, and I turn around to start walking to class but run into someone. I look up and see Drake standing there looking down at me with a smile on his face. I fix my posture and fix my backpack strap.

"Are you going to the carnival tonight?" I ask him.

"Possibly," he replies looking to the left.

"I was just wondering because I'm going and I thought you would go too." I tell him tapping my foot. 'Why is my foot tapping' I think. He looks down and my foot automatically stops… stupid nerves.

"I got to go." We both say at the same time and walk away from each other going to our classes. When I walk in to class I see my teacher waving her hand at me, I walk over to her gulping.

"Rachel, I just wanted to tell you that you don't have to help out in the library anymore." I nod my head but on the inside I'm bouncing around with joy. I walk over to my desk and class begins with the ring of the bell.

_At the Carnival…_

The Ferris wheel goes around in its circle pattern; I hear the bells and laughter of everyone here. Games and stands are scattered all around with their red and white tarps. I look forward to see Julia scanning tickets and when she sees me she runs up and hugs me. 'This is the first time I saw her in a while' I think while hugging her. When were done, she scan Lukas, Emery, and my tickets.

"Do you guys realize this is my first job ever? How exciting is that?" She asks us. Lukas says something but I don't hear him, I look around for the Atrians. Julia says something and then Grayson passes by telling Emery something.

"Hey guys, here they come." Lukas says pointing. We all look at them in a single file line, I see Roman in the front, and Drake in the back. He came! Why am I so excited about it? The laughter soon stops to almost complete silence, as they pass Taylor who scans their wristbands; everyone looks at them walking by. A little girl walks up to a girl who name is, Teri, she hands her a blue glowing bracelet and she walks off with a grin on her face. I start walking the way they took looking for Drake, in the crowds. The guards left them to do their own thing while they waited at the bus. Finding Drake should be easy, he wore all black and had a tattoo on his neck and arm. As I walk around the afternoon quickly turns tonight, and I'm starting to worry.

"Hey." I turn around and see Emery behind me.

"Have you seen Drake?" I blurt out. She gives me a weird look and we start walking.

"No, Roman can't find him either." I look down fear-stricken and out the corner of my eye I see Eric pulling trash out. Eric never helping, that's weird. I see Grayson stand right beside Emery and start to drift away, trying to see where Eric went.

"Having fun?" He asks Emery.

"More fun than your friend Eric, since when is he on trash duty?" She asks.

"What are you talking about?" He says. When I hear that I start sprinting towards the area Eric went to. I hear footsteps joining me and see Emery with Grayson following behind. I turn around the corner of a fence and see Eric by his truck tying tar over the truck bed.

"Eric." Grayson says. He looks up startled by our arrival.

"What's going on?"

"Nothing man, I was just taking off." He replies. I look at the tarp and see it rustle and hear a muffled voice. Emery walks over and starts untying the tarp revealing Drake.

"Oh my God!" She says looking down at Drake. Drake looks at me

"This is going way too far." Grayson tells Eric and starting to untie Drake's feet.

"I caught him trying to run away." Eric says trying to explain.

"No one touches him." A voice says. Everyone turns around to see Robert Vartan walking towards us with a group behind him. Emery and Grayson back away and I stand in front of Drake blocking his path.

"Step aside!" He says pushing me to the ground. My head hits the rocks and my vision blurs and my head spins. Emery starts helping me up but I can't move and I hear a grunt from Drake. All I hear is, "Gators gonna love him."

"I thought we were going to scare him a bit and ditch him somewhere." Eric says.

"You don't make the plans, I do." Robert says devilish.

"What's wrong with you?" Emery asks him as I start to stand up, my cheek bleeding.

"I know you, your that little race trader bitch." He tells Emery.

"You piece of shit!" I scream punching him in the nose. He moves towards us but backs off as when Grayson stops him.

"We got another traitor!" He shouts holding his nose.

"You know what you are? You're a Louisiana redneck bitch!" I scream at him and walk over to Emery who is untying him. He raises his hand, but Grayson pulls out a pocket knife which stops him from coming. He smiles backing up calling Eric and his other guys away, Eric looks back at me and runs to them. I take the cloth out of Drake's mouth and he looks at my cheek, I wipe some blood off and continue untying him.

"Get me the hell out of here." He says as Emery unties his hands.

"Hold still." When were done I walk away from the truck and hear the sound of Drake jumping out of it. I walk a little faster past the fence and turn to my right and hold my cheek. I lean against the fence, now that my nerves calmed down my cheek is in pain. I give a little cry and I see Drake turning his head walking towards me, he leans down next to me moving my hand from my cheek.

"What were you thinking?!" He asks me in a mad voice.

"I don't know." I tell him. He then tears off some of his clothing and puts it against my cheek. I wince a little bit but he holds my hand, I feel his warm hand touch my cold skin sending a shiver through me.

"You could've gotten hurt much worse." He tells me in a caring voice wiping some blood away.

"It doesn't matter," I say with grin.

"Why doesn't it matter?" He asks.

"I do anything for people I care about." I tell him. I turn my head looking at his green eyes as the stars reflect in his eyes. His hand moves from my hand and puts it around my neck.

"Drake!" I hear a voice that is Teri's. Drake looks at me removing his hand and getting up.

"I have to go," he tells me. I start getting up and he leaves running away until he is out of sight. I smile and start walking to exit thinking about him.


	7. Our Toil Shall Mend, Part 1

It feels like any other school day, another regular homecoming carnival except that Drake almost got abducted by the Red Hawks and I almost got knocked out by Robert Vartan. The cut on my cheek healed leaving a mark that is easily covered in makeup. Some good news is that Julia is coming for her first day here at Marshall High, more like the only good news. In two days, the 10th anniversary of Arrival Day and the commemoration in town as well and that is what everyone is talking about. I look to my right and see Julia beginning to speak.

"I can't believe it, I'm here! I'm finally in high school!" Julia exclaims looking around. I look up and see Drake and the others of the Atrian seven coming; Drake wears a black tank top with a necklace around his neck. Both of his arms are revealed showing the tattoos on each of them. Our arms brush as he passes me, I feel the warmth of his bare skin against mine, and a chill runs down my spine. We glance at each other which Roman catches but looks at Emery and Julia right after. I turn around and see Julia and Emery both looking at me.

"I saw that," Julia says with a smug smile on her face. "You just shivered when he touched you."

"It was nothing; I guess the air conditioner is on." Julia shakes her head not falling for the lie.

"I'm going to class." I walk off and hear Julia saying my name bye and look in the direction that Drake went. When I enter, I see Drake sitting with some of the other Atrians and I walk over to my desk, when I sit down I look over and see Drake looking at me until an Atrian grabs his attention. Soon the bell rings and everyone comes in waiting for class to begin. The twenty minutes in here are long until at the end, Gloria Valdez walks in and everyone stares at her attentively. She starts to walk down the rows of desk and begins to speak.

"The 10th anniversary of Arrival Day is in two days. Families of the fallen, as well as human and Atrian students who are part of this integration program are all invited to attend the commemoration which will be held at the base of the Atrian ship." I see Lukas and Sophia, Roman's sister, talking to each other and Gloria Valdez continues.

"The eyes of the world will be on us. People want to see how this exchange of cultures is progressing, so far the Atrian seven have attended human school and human events. The next step is to introduce humans into Atrian society. To that end the human students in this room have been selected to spend a day in the Sector, tomorrow." The Atrians looked startled and some of the human students sound irritated and annoyed t the fact their seeing their 'enemies'.

"It's the first time human students will have access to the Sector, you'll be making history." She finishes before the bell rings and students start pouring out the classes into the hallways. I see Drake leaving and Emery walking up to Gloria with Grayson behind her, someone grabs my arm and pulls me out the classroom. I see Caroline smiling and hugging me shortly after.

"Hey!" She says hugging me tightly.

"Where were you? I thought you were only there for a day?" I ask her.

"Well, my parents heard about everything that happened here at the Sector with Nox and the Trags, so my dad made us stay longer. Was the carnival fun?" She says.

"Yeah, just the same homecoming carnival like every year." I tell her looking at Drake.

"Just before I walked in, I heard Gloria say…" She pauses trying to meet my gaze. I stop looking at Drake and look back at her she gives me a weird look and continues. "Anyways, we're going to the Sector tomorrow!" She says excited.

"Maybe you can meet that Atrian you like." I say. She gives me a playful glare and nudges me on the shoulder.

"Very funny." After that we both start walking to our next class with smiles on our faces.

_The Next Day…_

I look out the bus window with Caroline beside me on her phone texting her mom. I see the change of how many buildings, when we left Marshall High there were many buildings around, but as we get closer to the Sector in almost becomes like a barren wasteland. I look around the bus and see that Eric isn't here, the last thing we need is someone getting shot because of Eric. In the distance I can see the guards and trucks outside of the Sector's walls.

"We're almost there!" Someone shouts from the back and everyone in the bus moves to look out the windows at the sight of the Sector. Caroline even crushes me to get a view of it as well; fortunately we hit a bump in the road causing everyone to fall back in their seats including Caroline. We both laugh but on stop as the bus starts to slow down, I look out the window and see people with Red Hawk signs banging on the gates of the Sector.

"I didn't realize it got this bad." Caroline says looking at one man as we pass by. The bus stops to a halt and the doors open up to the Sector. We all start getting out in a single file line looking at all the protestors and Atrians alike both of them staring at us. All the human students get into a group and then we start to follow an Atrian and Gloria Valdez inside, we pass the Atrian groups who look at us with expressionless faces only a few manage to smile while some stare in hate. I see Roman and Sophia on my left and Drake and Teri on my right, I make eye contact with Drake and we pass each other once more.

"You've been put into groups of two; each pair must be accompanied by a guard during your visit here." Gloria Valdez says looking at all of us. Caroline gets next to me and I see Grayson go over to Emery.

"Welcome to the Sector." The Atrian says spreading his arms. Automatically, everyone looks around and starts spreading out looking at the vendors and houses. Caroline and I walk around until a certain necklace catches my eye.

"I'm going over here." Caroline points at a vendor and I nod my head still looking at the necklace. It is a small clear blue stone on a black chain.

"Jewelry shopping?" I hear someone's voice and turn around to see Drake standing behind me.

"Yes, I'm just looking right now." I tell him browsing all the necklaces, rings, and bracelets.

"I like this one," He says pointing. I follow his finger and see he is pointing at the same one I saw before with the blue stone. "But I don't know anything about jewelry."

"No, I like that one too." I reply grinning at the necklace. Drake moves in front of me and hands money to the vendor and picks up the necklace handing it to me.

"Drake, you didn't have to do that." I tell him. He smiles and puts the necklace in my hand.

"Think of it as a 'Welcome to the Sector' present." He then walks away to another vendor where groups of kids all gather around. I put the necklace on and it fits perfectly, I touch the stone and fell the smoothness of it. Caroline come running back to me wearing a black colored scarf that almost covers her whole head.

"What is that?" I ask her.

"I liked this scarf, do I look fancy?" She asks showing off the scarf.

"You look headless," I laugh.

"Not cool." She says.

"Well I like it," She states. I look over to my left and see a Sector guard, Officer Beaumont taking Drake away behind a building and disappear. I start walking over to follow him but I'm stopped by a guard.

"This area is restricted for safety reasons." He says with his gun in hand.

"I'm Rachel Whitehill, sir." I tell him he looks amazed.

"Do you know who I am? I'm Jerry and I'm not letting you through." He tells me sarcastically. The guard next to him laughs and I walk away annoyed. I start looking at other vendors trying to distract myself, I hope Drake is okay.


	8. Our Toil Shall Mend, Part 2

Today is the commemoration for Arrival Day and almost everyone in my class as far as I can see is here. News vans, reporters, and cameramen scatter the areas near the stage where Gloria Valdez will be speaking. I see the Sector bus arrive with the Atrian seven and that same Atrian that led us yesterday walking towards the bleachers where parents and students sit. People gather on the stage including Gloria Valdez and the Atrian from yesterday sitting next to each other. Officer Beaumont walks up the steps to where the Atrians are sitting and tells something to Drake who is getting up, and they walk away together leaving behind the stage.

"It's about to start." Caroline whispers in my ear. I look at the stage and see Gloria Valdez standing at the podium wearing her white outfit.

"Welcome. Welcome. Today we honor those we lost but we also look to the future." She starts off. (Italics is Atrian)

"…I could tell you about the success of our integration program, but I'll let you see the results for yourself." She moves to the side of the stage and the video Emery and Grayson made is being shown, Sophia appears on the screen. She starts telling us how old she was when the ship crashed but is interrupted by a picture of a red bird. Red Hawks! A man appears with a blacked out face calling himself the grand patriarch of the Red Hawks he says a few words then the words, 'Alien Invasion' appear. Drake is shown saying, "One day we're going to break down these walls and you'll be sorry." And Teri hisses at the camera. Everyone looks confused and scared of what they're seeing, Gloria is trying to turn off the video and amongst the confusion I see Grayson getting up and leaving. Something is wrong, I can feel it. I get up from my seat and follow the direction in which Drake went. I turn around a news truck and see a hunched over figure moving through a fence, Drake! He looks around after he is in and moves toward the ship, what would he want with it?

I start moving towards him trying to not make a noise and hoping he doesn't see me. I walk up to the fence and slide my body through it trying to not cut myself or tear my clothes. When I'm through I see his figure entering the ship I run over a yellow bar and keep running until I see the entrance. I see him standing there with some weird green spiked weapon in his hand. He looks around and moves forward slowly, I can hear his footsteps and try to match there rhythm so he can't hear me. He stops shortly after to an area covered with white tarp and reads a sign, when he moves in I try to get a better look at the sign and when I read, it says that Atrian technology still works. I gulp and move in, we both turn around a corner and I hear his footsteps cease. I look around a corner and see a hole not covered by anything, untouched.

He moves in to get a better look and moves back to get and runs towards the hole jumping inside. I follow his same steps and see him floating around but soon landing and walking away. When I put my feet down I feel like I'm about to trip and see that my feet are sliding away off the floor. I grab onto a pipe and feel it warm, Drake must've held it too and turn my body to where my feet touch the ceiling, and then the gravity comes back causing me to land on my feet, I see him walk on the sleek black floor with that weapon still in his hand. If I say something he could mistake me for a guard and try to kill me. He turns down a walkway that becomes wet with leaks everywhere and he starts looking at the walls of the ship. His hand glides down one wall turning it blue and his fingers keep gliding over the walls until he stops at a container of some sort.

His fingers glide down on something making blue symbols appear and the box glows and opens. He reaches inside and pulls out a glass cube and examines it until he is startled by a noise. I hear it too and see a guard with a flashlight appear looking down the hallway, I hide behind one of the walls and so does Drake. I hear the footsteps nearing me and when I peer around the corner I see Drake punching the guard in the face knocking him over. Drake gets on top of him with the weapon in the air ready to finish him. The guard begs him not to kill and that he has a family Drake puts the weapon down. I jump a little and hear silence, did he kill him? I see the weapon on the side if the guard's neck and Drake removes his hand from his neck sweating and the guard is still in shock. His head turns and I see Teri standing behind him with her hand in his back. Drake gets off the guard and the guard still lies there in pure horror not even knowing if he'll see his family again. Teri moves over the guard and she is holding a leaf that glows blue and puts it in her mouth and moves her mouth to the guard's and gets off. The guard's head lies down and looks completely oblivious now than before.

"He won't remember a thing when he wakes up." Teri says staring at the guard.

"How did you know?" Drake asks.

"My mother is the leader of the Trags, there's not much I don't know." She replies.

"But why are you helping out?" He asks confused.

"It's time to embrace my destiny." She replies with Drake still looking at her. That must mean Drake and Teri are a part of the Trags! I cover my mouth hoping they don't hear my shaky breaths and instead hear footsteps fading away. I look around the wall and see them gone and the guard still on the ground asleep now. I pick up Drake's weapon and put it in my jacket and I follow them to the way out, but one question is in my head. 'Should I be afraid of Drake?' I hoping the answer is not yes.

_Outside the Ship…_

I see Drake and Teri making their way towards the stage and I follow distraught by what I saw in the ship. The go through the fence the same way we came in and I go through not caring if I get cut or hurt. In the distance I see Roman standing next to Gloria but after Gloria leaves, Drake and Teri go to him, eventually Teri leaves with Drake following. Drake turns around and spots me and starts walking to me with his hands in his jacket. I move behind the stage and he jogs to catch up with me.

"Rachel!" He shouts. I lean against the stage and feel tears struggling to show, but I hold back.

"Rachel, where are you going?" He asks holding my arm. I feel so mad and scared of Drake right now, he's not the same person I saw at the carnival.

"I should ask you that, being taken away by a guard and not coming back." I say.

"He was checking me to make sure I had no weapons on." He replies. I see he is lying and because I followed him.

"Was this a weapon you had on you?" I pull out the green weapon and when he sees it he takes it out my hand. When he sees it, he automatically takes it and puts it in his jacket.

"Where did you get that?" He asks madly.

"You left it when you were about to kill that guard!" I shout. He puts his hand over my mouth and moves us farther away from the buses.

"You followed me?" He asks.

"Well, it's weird when the same guard gets you and takes you away again."

"Rachel, you can't tell anyone this-

I cut him off. "Why, because you'll kill me? You'll kill my family? That's what the Trags are doing isn't it? Trying to find a way to kill my father because he accidently shot Nox." He goes silent and when I'm about to leave he grabs my arm firmly.

"Rachel, you know I won't harm you." The tears start coming out my eyes now.

"How do I know anymore? How do I know I won't wake up and see my family with bullets in their brains?" He hands hold my arms and he looks me in the eyes.

"Rachel, out of all the humans I've ever met you're the only one that hasn't tried to kill me and actually showed me kindness. I'll never forget that, and know this; I would never hurt you or your family as long as I live." He wipes a tear from my cheek I push his hand away.

"But you'll still kill humans anyway and for what? The Trags? Or yourself?" I walk away and leave him at the stage by himself. I don't know if I can ever look at Drake the same way I used to.


	9. No Friendly Drop, Part 1

After the anniversary of Arrival Day, everyone is on edge. The guards are more observant and watch everyone inside the school and outside especially the Atrians and have been treating them cruel. Aren't the guards and the SEU supposed to protect the Atrians and humans? I've seen Drake around school but every time he saw me or tried to get to me I moved away from his sight and him.

'He almost killed someone' my mind repeats over and over again making me distance from him even more. The Sector bus stops right on the side of me almost hitting me, the guards have really changed and not in a good way. I see the Atrians walk out with Drake and Teri coming out first I hide behind someone's car hoping they don't see me; I follow in their direction trying to listen in on their conversation.

With everyone else talking I only hear the most important words, 'Trags', 'Beaumont was a spy', then I here Drake joined the Trags because he wanted freedom for him and the Atrians but Teri interrupts him talking about some place in the swamps he talks about. So, Teri is a Trag as well, Officer Beaumont was an Atrian who had his markings removed, and Drake simply wants freedom. I get up from behind the car because I see people staring and continue to walk inside the school I look out the corner of my eye and see Drake coming towards me.

"Rachel!" He shouts. I keep walking but I am not fast enough and he pulls my arm and we are behind a plant.

"I know you have been avoiding me," He says casually. "Why?" I look around making sure no one sees us or hears us.

"Would you avoid someone who almost killed a person right in front of your eyes?"

"I didn't know you were there—

I cut him off. "What if you knew I was there the whole time? Would you have raised your weapon and nearly chop his head off?"

"No, you saw me; I wasn't going to kill him."

"What if you did though? You saw me standing right there and you killed him." He looks away and moves closer to me.

"I would have regretted it." He states.

"Why?" I ask as he moves closer and I'm against the brick wall and my backpack strap falls off the shoulder it was on hitting the ground.

"I'm not that guy who would kill someone because they were human." He says putting his forearm against the wall next to my face. "And I would never want you to see me that way." I start looking into his eyes but snap out.

"Is that all? You just want freedom so you joined a terrorist group that hates humans. Let's say you do get out of the Sector and you're able to do whatever you want, the Trags can start bombing innocent people on the streets. What would you do?" I ask. He looks at the ground but quickly looks up.

"I would quit the Trags and be free to do what I want," He replies. "And make sure they don't touch you." He finishes. Our faces are very close now with, I can't help it, and I start staring into his deep green eyes getting lost in them. He moves closer to my face but the bell rings and everyone goes inside. He takes his arm off the wall and leaves; I grab my backpack and head to class.

_Health Class…_

"Atrians have two hearts and two full sets of lungs, now this combined with their skin's ability to absorb oxygen from air and water makes their respiratory systems-

"Superior. Like everything else about us." Teri cuts her off.

"No, Teri not superior. Different. The important thing to remember is that Atrians biological differences are due to their native environment right down to their markings which are bio-luminescent in water." I look at Drake but Eric gets in my way stretching his arms on purpose and his friends laugh. I look back to Ms. Benton and her speech.

"It's called adaptive evolution. Those aren't the only differences; physically Atrians mature faster than we do their sensitive to salt and dry air and allergic to a lot of our foods, pretty much anything with caffeine in it. But, Atrians and humans are strikingly similar some biologists suggest a common origin." The teacher says and Zoe raises her hand. 'Here we go' I thought rubbing my forehead.

"Does that mean a human and an Atrian can get their intergalactic freak on?" Zoe asks. The whole class looks at the Atrian and at each other with smirks.

"Hypothetically, yes." Ms. Benton replies.

_Hallway…_

I walk around the hallway and head to the trophy case, passing all the crowds of people in the hall. I look ahead and see Sophia standing there looking at the swim team's photo. I walk next to her looking at all the trophies and ribbons, but my eyes automatically go to the tennis team's picture. I touch the glass and just stare at the team's faces.

"You're on the tennis team?" A voice says. I turn my head and see Sophia looking at me and the picture.

"You mean was on the tennis team." I say.

"What happened?" She asks.

"My shoulder happened," I touch my shoulder and feel the way I felt when I hurt it. "We just won a very big game, everyone was happy but then the next game that came was the game where everything went downhill. I never played again after that." I look at the trophy's holder in the photo, me.

"I didn't know…"

"It's okay." We both look at the photo.

"That's our swim team." Sophia and I both turn around and see Emery standing behind us.

"I've never been a part of something like that… a team." Sophia says.

"Even in the Sector I don't really have many friends. I was hoping to find some on the outside but it's not that easy is it?" The bell rings and people start moving to their classes.

"Friendships are tough, even for humans." Emery replies. Sophia tilts her head and looks behind Emery and starts moving to even more pictures of the swim team.

"Swimming is important here?"

"If we win tomorrow, we go to state finals." I say. "You should try out."

"I've never been in the water since we got here." Sophia says. Emery and I both look at each other.

_Pool…_

Sophia is a great swimmer. I can't even hold my breath that long as she can in the water, she is a natural. Grayson and Eric stand next to each other, Grayson claps but Eric just looks at Sophia unimpressed. The door opens and Teri and Roman enter watching next to Grayson and Eric looking at her stunned.

"What's Eric's record again?" Taylor asks.

"4.19." Grayson replies. Eric still stares at Sophia with his eyes coldly. Sophia's head breaks out the water and Emery stops the stopwatch.

"Four minutes and seventeen seconds!" She exclaims. Sophia throws her arms in the air and her markings glow bright blue.

"She broke form, so is that what we call freestyle?" Eric comes in and the excitement is over.

"Then why don't you race her? Head to head." Emery states.

"Because I'm not getting in the pool with a diseased-ridden tattie." Eric says. Teri starts walking over to him in anger but Roman pulls her back. Everyone looks at each other in the eerie silence.


	10. No Friendly Drop, Part 2

Gloria came and took everyone out in the hallway next to the pool, a mom came over after Gloria calls her on her phone after everyone is in the hallway.

"I'm just concerned for my daughter," the mom says in a worried tone. "Have the Atrians been tested for any diseases?" She asks.

"Yes, of course they have." Gloria replies. The daughter of the mom goes over to her.

"Mom, you should've seen her, she broke Eric's state record." She says in a convincing voice.

"Like hell she did," Eric says annoyed. "Hey I got an idea, why don't we let a dolphin on the team? Or an alligator, they're really fast swimmers too." He announces sarcastically. Something about him makes me want to slap him.

"Come on, lots of athletes have physical advantages. Michael Phelps has double jointed ankles and you're saying you don't want that on our team." He tells Eric and looks towards Emery.

"Okay, enough Sophia—

"We encouraged her." Emery and I both say cutting Gloria off.

"No, I wanted to do it. I want to be on the team." Sophia says.

"And I'm afraid that's not possible," Gloria starts to finish. "When your father and I negotiated the integration program, we both agreed that sports at least at the start my pose a security risk."

"But the meet is on school grounds, you're saying you can't protect them at Marshall." Emery rebuttals.

"Even if we did bring additional security, okay the board decided having Atrians participate in sports would be disruptive to the other students they've been training for years—"Eric nods his head in the back agreeing with everything Gloria says.

"So you're leaving your best swimmier off the team, right before the meet. I she took you guys to state would that be disruptive?" Emery asks aloud.

"Stop encouraging her," Roman comes in the conversation. "I don't think this is a good idea."

"Well I think it's a great idea," Grayson says. "If you want to talk about unfair advantages Collier Prep makes state every year because they're a private school and could pull in the best athletes from the Gulf Coast and they're a factory. It's either this or we fight back."

"See what is the problem?" Emery asks Gloria.

"I will talk to the board. Okay, if I can reverse the board's decision, I expect all of you to be on your best behavior. Am I making myself clear?" Gloria asks us and glancing at Teri and walking away. Sophia, Grayson, Emery, and I all smile.

_Hallway…_

"Hey, Rachel!" I turn around but instead of seeing Drake I see Eric running with his jacket flying as he comes to me.

"Yeah?" I reply as he stops in front of me.

"Would you like to come eat with the swim team tonight? We do it every time before a big swim meet." He pushes his hair back nervously.

"I can't, sorry." I lie and start walking away but his arm pulls me back.

"Is this because you think I'm a Red Hawk?" He asks. I start smiling and laughing at his question.

"I think you're a Red Hawk? I know you're a Red Hawk, at the carnival I found you with Drake tied up in the back of your truck. That's something a Red Hawk would do, or were you just bringing him to get something to eat?" He looks at the ground and I shrug his arm off mine and continue walking to class.

_The Next Day…_

Today is the swim meet with Collier Prep, if the board allows Sophia to swim; we'll have a big advantage and probably go to state. Everyone is excited about the meet including Emery and I, I would like to see Collier Prep lose. On the outside of the school, the protestors get louder everyday with more signs and more rage, Emery brought a gift for Sophia today and I walk alongside her bringing it.

"Hey, Sophia! I've got you a present," Emery holds the bag up and Sophia with a smile takes it.

"Seriously?" She asks in disbelief. I peer around and see a group of guys watching us and laughing but when they see me they all look away.

"It's awesome, thank you!" She opens her locker and behind it, there is a doll of Sophia with a knife in it. She covers her mouth in horror.

"Oh my God." Emery says shocked. I see Roman coming to see what has happened.

"What's wrong? He asks. He looks at the locker and tears the doll off in anger.

"This is over." He tells Sophia.

"Roman—"Emery starts.

"I'm talking to my sister not you," He says. "I know you want to honor dad, but I'm not going to let you risk your life to do it. I love you, but I'm going to drag you out of that pool if I have too." He holds her arm gently but Sophia shrugs it off.

"No, you won't." She states and slams her locker shut. I look at the group of guys again who are now laughing almost demonically, 'They put the doll in the locker' I think. I see Roman walk away throwing the doll in the trash.

"That's it." I walk past Emery and reach for the doll by grabbing the knife part. I examine it and raise my arm.

"Hey, assholes!" I throw the doll at the guys and they stop laughing and run off in the hallways.

"Nice throw." I hear Emery and a voice say together in sync. I look and see Emery and behind her Drake, she starts walking to class leaving Drake and I in the hallway.

"If I were you, I would throw the knife by their forehead and scare them to death." He says smiling. I glance at him and walk to class leaving the doll on the hard floor.

_Fitness Center…_

After our classes, I caught up with Sophia and we both started walking and head down to the pool.

"I really want to see you cream Collier Prep," I tell her. "If you do that you'll be a hero." She just smiles and we walk past treadmills but are stopped by a girl with blonde hair and two energy drinks in her hands.

"Hey Sophia," She starts. "I just wanted to break the ice, there's a lot of hate from Collier Prep about an aliens swimming for Marshall, but I'm really looking forward to it." She says. 'She sounds too nice' I think.

"Thanks, I appreciate that." Sophia says politely.

"A peace offering, it's a sports drink, my pre-race ritual." She hands her the orange bottle.

"What's in it?" Sophia asks.

"Fruit juice, electrolytes… that sort of stuff." She says.

"Cheers." They both raise the bottles and open the caps. 'Sports drink' I think. The first thing that comes in to mind is caffeine! I slap the bottle out of Sophia's hand but it's too late, she already drank from it.

"What's your problem?" I ask the blonde who is still drinking her bottle.

"Why did you do that?" The blonde asks weirdly.

"Sophia, sports drinks have caffeine in them!" She looks at the bottle on the ground and her eyes widen. She starts choking and falls to the ground, people gather around us and stare at Sophia. I move down next to her screaming.

"Help her! Help her!" I feel a hand come over my mouth and arms pick me up. I'm in the arms of two guys next to me and one's hand is still over my mouth.

"Shut up Rachel!" He says. I try to struggle out of their grasps but can't and all I can do is watch Sophia on the ground. I see Eric come over staring at Sophia also and he looks at me with a solemn glance

"Sophia!" A voice shouts. I see Julia running over to the crowd and crouching next to her.

"Guys she can't breathe!" She exclaims in panic but no one helps her. "I need to get help!" She says and runs away out of sight. I see Emery and Grayson come over both of them coming next to her; Grayson then pushes two guys back.

"Get back!"

Why don't you get back? Tattie-lover?" One guy says.

"Who are you calling Tattie." A voice says. I look up and see Drake come in wearing a white tank top showing his markings. He looks at me and his eyes are filled with fury as the two guys strengthen their grips on me. I see Teri walk over to the blonde in resentment.

"What did you give her?" Teri asks pulling the sports drink out of her hand.

"Caffeine!" She shouts.

"It's not my fault E.T. drank it." The blonde says.

"What you're saying makes me fell unwelcome, and fills me with rage," Teri says pulling out her earrings. "There I used my words!" Teri head-butts her causing her to collapse to the ground and the fight begins. Drake comes running over to the guys holding me and punches them both in the face releasing me, I fall to the ground and gasp for air.

"Are you okay?" Drake asks in a caring voice. I look past him and see a guy running towards us. I spring my legs in his face knocking the guy to the ground. We both smile and Drake helps me up and we fight against the jocks of Collier Prep. The more punches that are thrown the more we head to the pools doors and we do the whole pile of us charging in causing two girls to fall in the pool. I see Grayson knee someone and Drake pulling up someone from the pool but punching him in the face before he can get out. I see one guy running up behind Teri but I sprint and punch him into the pool, Teri turns around and we nod at each other. Then I see Eric running in the fight kicking two guys away from Drake and Grayson fall into the pool with two jocks fighting underwater. An air horn sounds and we see Gloria and guards follow behind her with one holding the air horn the fighting ceases and we all look at them walking towards us.

"The next person to throw a punch will be expelled!" Gloria shouts. "The meet is cancelled, Collier Prep to the locker room, Marshall to the auditorium!" We all stand frozen like statues.

"Now!" Everyone starts moving and I follow behind Drake to the auditorium.

_Auditorium…_

"The Marshall swim team will be suspended from competition, you'll forfeit all further matches. You're season is over." Gloria states.

"Are you serious?" Eric asks holding a bag of ice.

"It's not their fault, its mine." Sophia says.

"No… I put the integration program on the line today, I trusted you all and you let me down. Still, when Nox one of the founding members of this program passed away, many feared that his dream died with him. But after today's event, I know that's not the case." Gloria says looking at us all. "True the meet was an unqualified disaster, but for the first time in history, humans and Atrians were fighting alongside each other. You were fighting for each other. And I viewed that as a victory." Everyone in the auditorium looks at each other with small grins on our faces. So, there will be no further disciplinary action, you can go."

"Wait, we came here to swim. After everything that has happened can we at least do that?" Sophia asks.

"What's the point? We already forfeited the meet, and no one is here to see it." Eric says.

"We're here." Grayson replies to Eric.

"The pool is yours, one hour." Gloria tells us walking out of the auditorium. Drake and I face each other and smile.

_Pool…_

The swim team lines up to dive in the blue water and Drake and I stand alongside each other watching with the others who are not on the team.

"On your marks."

"Get set."

"Go." Everyone dives in and we start applauding and whistling for Sophia.

Outside the School…

Night fell just as quickly day does and we all left the school with Sophia winning the race. Drake and I were the last ones to eave and we walk side by side to his bus.

"The stars are sure beautiful tonight." I say stopping and staring at the night sky. He stops too and stares at the sky as well.

"I used to do that on Atria, I'd count however many stars I can but there is just so many I would get mixed up." I smile and think about Drake on Atria laying down in awe and count the bright shapes. A bright light distracts me and I look down and see it coming from the stone on my necklace.

"What is it doing?" I ask Drake and he moves in front of me and touches it with his fingers touching my neck.

"That stone glows whenever it is a full moon outside, it makes your eyes shine." He says. I can tell the last part came out of him on accident but I didn't mind. His face turned red, the shade of red when you're embarrassed.

"It also makes your marks gleam." I say staring at his mark's on his face. He smiles and we stare at each other with our eyes locking on each other's. My heart pounds and it is a feeling I can't name but his face moves closer to mine and his hand moves my hair back with his lips brushing mine. I feel like he can hear the loud beats of my heart but it didn't matter and I kissed him back. My face feels hot and red like a crawfish after being cooked.

"See you tomorrow." He whispers and walks to the Sector bus. I smile and continue walking home with me thinking about him the whole time.


	11. Dreamers Often Lie, Part 1

"Tomorrow begins a new phase of the integration program; the Atrian seven will be taken by bus into town. Once there you'll be free to explore Edendale now your curfew still stands the bus will take you back to the Sector at nine p.m... sharp."

"So a dog with a longer leash." Drake inquires.

"Its good luck that we haven't put you down yet." Eric replies in a low voice. Gloria gazes at them and continues speaking.

"It's an opportunity for Atrians to experience more of human culture."

"Is it even safe for the Atrians?" Emery asks next to me.

"SEU guards will be patrolling Edendale just like they do here at Marshall." Gloria replies reassuringly.

"And we can go anywhere we want?" Sophia asks excitedly.

"I'd rather go back to the Sector." Teri implies to Gloria.

"Now there's an idea." A girl mumbles in front of Teri. I think I'm the only one that heard her because everyone is listening and focusing on Gloria.

"We'll be monitoring your progress very closely over the next few months." Gloria tells the Atrians in a warning tone of voice. "If you break these rules you'll lose those privileges but, if you abide by them it can lead to greater freedoms outside the Sector for all Atrians." When Gloria finishes, the bell rings and the sounds of backpacks being picked up and footsteps are heard.

"Rachel!" I whirl around and see Caroline coming up to me with her brown curls bouncing on her shoulders.

"What is it?" I ask.

"Come see what someone put in my locker!" She grabs my hand and we fly out the auditorium into the hallways passing up the crowds of people. We turn down a hallway and her speed slows down and I see her locker wide open.

"When I opened it I came straight to you!" She tells me panicking. We stop and when I look into the locker an envelope is inside with the mark of the Red Hawks on it. I reach for the envelope and tear it open and read the note.

_'Your Tattie loving friend better watch herself'_

"Red Hawks." I whisper irritably and throw away the envelope and shove the letter in the pocket of my jeans.

"What did it say?" Caroline asks me worried. I slam her locker shut and glance at her.

"A warning… for me." Caroline looks at me gulping, and we walk to class while everyone stares.

_The Next Day…_

I walk into school fast and observant looking for any person who could've put that note in my locker. It could be those guys who put that doll in Sophia's locker but I didn't get a good look at them. I look for Eric who must have something to do with this, then I see walking in the hallway looking don avoiding eye contact.

"Eric!" I say running to catch up with him, his head turns but he keeps walking away faster now. I catch up with him and turn him to face me.

"What happened at Caroline's locker yesterday?" I ask intently. He gives me weird look and turns away watching the guards.

"I don't know what you're talking about." He says.

"What do you mean? The Red Hawks put this note in Caroline's locker." I pull out the note and he takes it to examine it.

"I've never seen it before."

"Have you seen Caroline?" I ask.

"Who?"

"My friend I'm talking to you about, brown haired." He points to the right and I see her coming. Eric leaves and continues to look down as he walks. Caroline comes up in front of me with serious look on her face.

"I found someone who knows about the note! It's the janitor!" Caroline says and runs off. I follow her hitting a couple of people with my backpack. She stops at the janitor's closet and when the door opens the janitor is in a chair with a coffee stain on his shirt and his hands behind his back.

"Can you untie me now?" He asks Caroline.

"Caroline! You tied the janitor?" I ask in shock.

"He was going to leave." She shrugs. I start untying the janitor from the rope and he grabs his wrists when he is done.

"Thank you."

"Now, tell her what you told me." Caroline demands.

"A couple of kids wearing blue came in after the swim meet and were holding an envelope and told me they needed Ms. Valdez." I listen to what he says and one thing crosses my mind.

"You said they were wearing blue?" He nods his head. Collier Prep!

"Thank you!" I grab Caroline's hand and we walk out the closet.

"What does blue have to do with anything?" She asks.

"Your brother is on the swim team, right and has a driver's license?" I ask.

"Yeah?"

"At lunch, before we leave to go to Edendale, we're going to pay Collier Prep a visit."

_At Collier Prep…_

"Collier Prep put that note in there so it would look like the Red Hawks did it and Collier wouldn't be suspects." I explain to Caroline as we get out her brother's car.

"What does this have to do with my brother?" She asks opening the trunk.

"He is on the swim team so he shouldn't tell on us and after the fight at the swim meet he did get beat up pretty bad by Collier." I look at the driver's seat and see Caroline's brother waving at us and I see his black eye.

"Where is the swim team?" Caroline asks.

"Practice I guess." I walk over to the car and Caroline comes over with two knives in her hand. I take one and slash one of the back tires.

"You get the front two I'll get the last one in the back." I tell her and she runs to the front of the car and I move forward to the last tire and slash that one as well.

"Are you done?"

"Yeah." I see Caroline run to me and help me up. We put the knives in the back in the trunk and hop in her brother's car.

"Drive!" Caroline exclaims. He presses the gas and we leave Collier Prep high fiving each other.

_Edendale…_

When we get out the car, Caroline's brother leaves and I see Emery coming over to me.

"Where were you?" She asks.

"We had some car trouble." Caroline says and we look at each other with small grins on our faces.


	12. Dreamers Often Lie, Part 2

In the distance the convoy of the SEU vehicles drove towards us with the Atrians in their bus. The people in the streets watch the Atrians enter Edendale for the first time and stare as the bus passes them. Caroline smiles grabbing my arm and runs towards the bus in a giddy manner. The bus stops and she stops as well watching the Atrians come out. Sophia followed by Roman and other Atrians come out, but I don't see Drake or Teri. People gather around the bus watching the Atrians look around their town.

Caroline runs towards one of the Atrians leaving me standing by myself, and then I see two more Atrians, Drake and Teri come out one behind the other talking to each other afterwards. Teri leaves and Drake passes by Zoe and Taylor going in his own direction. After seeing where Drake went I start to follow him, I feel like stalker but I not trying to. He sits down on one of the many blue benches and leans over on his side, his hand slides under the bench and quickly slides out when I see Roman walking towards him. He sits down next to Drake and they begin to talk looking like regular people sitting together having a friendly conversation. I hear them talk about someone named 'Jesytur' a, place called 'Aljuita' and Roman wanting to find it. I move behind the nearest plant when I see Drake and Roman leaving, Drake walks my way and I close my eyes hoping he doesn't see me.

"What are you doing?" My eyes fly wide open and I see Drake standing in front of me with a grin on his face.

"Just observing this plant," I say touching a leaf. He shakes his head with the grin still there. "Anyway do you want to go to the party?" I ask.

"Just where I was going." He says pointing behind himself.

"Would you like to walk together?" I ask. His expression changes, the grin disappears and he looks at Teri walking towards us.

"Sorry, I can't." Teri stops and signals Drake to follow her which he does. My heart feels like it stops. Are Drake and Teri together? Did I kiss Teri's boyfriend?

"Hey! Hey!" I snap out of my thoughts and Caroline stands in front of me.

"What are you looking at?" She turns around and Drake has already left with Teri.

"Hey Caroline?" I ask.

"Yeah. Are you okay?"

"Who was that guy you dated last year?"

"Jacob, why?" She replies.

"When you guys kissed when did he tell you he had a girlfriend already?" I ask.

"He didn't. I found out myself, I thought things were going good until he started to hang out with Jessica a lot and then she told me." I walk to the bench where Drake and Roman where and sit down feeling uneasy. Caroline joins me holding my knee.

"What's wro—

"Can I sit here?" Caroline and I both look up and see Zoe hovering over us.

"Sure." I reply and move over. Zoe sits in the same spot Drake was at and leans over tying her shoes. When she is done her hand moves under the bench and holds something, she looks at us and gives a smile. Probably one of the fakest smiles I've ever seen and she walks away quickly putting her hand in her pocket. The uneasy feeling leaves me and instead a suspicious feeling takes its place.

"Follow me." I tell Caroline. I get up and start following Zoe in the distance. I hear Caroline speaking but instead I keep following Zoe with Caroline chatting behind me. We pass by shops, restaurants, and buildings until Zoe stops. I grab Caroline by her shirt and pull her behind a dumpster, I peer over and see Zoe turned around but she turns back and continues walking.

"You have been acting weird." I hear Caroline say. I ignore her and continue to tail Zoe. We walk a little farther but stops in front of the restaurant where the party is taking place. She enters the building and I move to the window to see where she goes, Zoe walks in and automatically moves to a table for two people in the back and sits down.

"Come on." I gesture for Caroline to follow and we both enter the restaurant. When we walk in I see Teri sitting with Zoe talking. I move towards an empty table that grants me a good vantage point of their table.

"What are you doing?" Caroline asks.

"Here, order something." I shove a menu to Caroline and she starts to read it. Then Drake appears standing at the table talking to the two of them. Teri pulls something out and slides it over to Zoe who hurriedly puts it in her bag. I catch a glimpse of silver and Zoe leaving with Drake following leaving Teri at the table by herself.

"I'll take some onion rings and two waters." I hear Caroline saying. I look at her and see her watching me intently.

"Would you like to explain to me what's going on?"

"Nothing is going on." I tell her. "What do you think is going on?" I ask.

"You're hiding something and I'll find out about it sooner or later."

"Okay. You do that." I respond. The onion rings and drinks come over and Caroline grabs an onion ring and drinking her water shortly after.

"Oh, I will." She says smiling. "Do you know where Emery and Grayson are?"

"Out on a date, I guess." I say before eating an onion ring. I feel the crunch and the heat coming from it, my stomach growls and I eat a couple more.

"Slow down." Caroline says grinning.

"I'm hungry." I reply drinking my water feeling the coolness rush down my throat. She starts laughing and we continue to eat the golden onion rings with our waters and laughing the rest of the party.


	13. Stabbed by a Wench's Black Eye, Part 1

"Officials have confirmed that the Red Hawks were behind last night's failed attack on the Sector. Now the question on everybody's minds today is 'who are the leaders of this newly named terrorist organization?..."

"That's just plain crazy," Caroline says holding her phone out so the both of us can see. "From hate crimes to bombs in a matter of weeks."

"Tell me about it." I respond. I look over my shoulder and see other people hovering over their phones watching the report as well. Then I look out into the hallway and see Drake standing next to his locker. "I got to go."

"Sure, whatever." Caroline replies with her eyes glued to the small screen. I walk away from the table I was at and proceed down the hallway wondering where Drake went with Zoe last night. Then I see Zoe stand against the wall next to Drake.

"Speak of the devil." I mumble and move on the other side of the wall where Zoe is.

"..This is a message I'll think you enjoy delivering." I peer over the wall and see her whispering in Drake's ear. "Grayson's parents." I hear Drake whisper back. What message is Drake supposed to deliver? What about Grayson's parents? I see Ms. Benton coming in the hallway and walk away as she turns to where Zoe is. Zoe is hiding something and if she attends the ball tonight perhaps I can find out what it is.

"Rachel." I turn around and see Eric coming towards me.

"I need to ask you something." He says.

"If you're asking me to join the Red Hawks the answer is no." I reply and start walking away. He grabs my arm and pulls me back to him.

"No, I was going to ask you about something else." I stare at him probably with a weird look but I try to hide it.

"Will you come to the ball with me tonight?" He asks holding his breath after. If I go to the ball with him I can find Zoe probably and maybe Drake and get some answers.

"Sure." A look of relief and a smile appear upon his face.

"I'll pick you up at seven." He says still smiling and walks away. I glance at my left and see Drake standing there in the sunlight with a look of hurt on his face and when he sees me looking at him, he walks away. 'I'll find him at the party.' I think to myself but aren't Drake and Teri together? I hope I'll find him tonight.

_At the Ball…_

Eric parks his car and locks it after we both get out. Grayson's house is immense; I knew he had money but not this much.

"I know right," I look on the side of me and see Eric standing there with his tuxedo on looking at the mansion too. "I remember when I first saw this place, reminded me of a castle." I hear a gentle, delightful tone in his voice. I brush some dirt off my dark blue dress, the length of the dress fit me perfectly, and I'm naturally tall so a long dress always did look good on me.

"Are you ready?" He asks. I nod my head and he extends his arm to me and I wrap my arm around his and we walk towards the front door. I feel like I'm on the red carpet with all these people taking photos and greeting and talking to each other. We walk in the same direction and I see the flashes of the camera which I feel like I'm being blinded by. When we finally arrive at the front door another camera flashes then my eyes adjust and I see all kinds of people wearing black and white talking to each other over drinks with smiles on their faces.

I then see Roman and Drake talking to each other, and for the first time I see Drake in a black tuxedo with a bowtie on as well. Then Roman turns around and I follow his gaze to see what he is looking at, Emery. She walks in wearing a short black dress with her hair up, 'she looks great' I think and see Roman still staring in awe. A woman then walks up to Emery and takes her out the room.

"That's Grayson's mom." I turn my head and see Eric holding drinks for the both of us. I take one out of his hand and take a sip from the glass cup, when I turn around Drake is gone and Roman still stands there by himself.

"I'm going over here." I tell Eric.

"Maybe I should go—

"Eric!" He is interrupted by two guys behind him. He turns around and starts talking to them and I walk away putting my drink down on a table. Eric is completely distracted and I turn down an empty hallway where paintings are hanging on both walls.

"Wow." I say admiring all the portraits hanging bringing color to the hallway. My black heels make a clicking noise on the marble floor as I walk. I look down a hallway on the left and see no one but when I look at the hall on my right I see a girl walking out of a room and back to the party. I turn my heel and walk down the hallway, to the room that she left from. I speed up pace when I see a shadow of a person from the glass door. I outstretch my hand on the handle and turn it and see Drake standing at a table with his arms resting on the top. The door creaks and he turns so fast that the candle that was burning went out and the room gets darker, he looks at me alarmed.

"What are you doing, the party isn't here." He says.

"I can tell you the same thing," I reply. I walk over to the table and put my purse next to the burnt out candle. "Who was that?" I ask. He gives me an odd look and turns away. He doesn't answer. "That girl who just left this room, don't lie to me." I say raising my voice.

"It was Teri." He says with a low voice. He is still lying.

"Teri isn't here Drake, and I know you have a relationship with her anyway-

"What are you talking about? Teri and I aren't in a relationship," He says raising his hand. "I'm not together with anyone right now." A wave of relief washes over me and a grin almost creeps on my face. I snap out of it, now I need answers.

"Who was that? Was it Zoe again? Where you planning to leave with her like last night?" I ask with annoyance.

"It wasn't Zoe and we weren't planning to leave." He replies moving closer to me.

"Well, where did you go last night then?" He stops as he is only a footstep away from me and his face becomes firm.

"I have to go." He walks to the door and opens it leaving me in the dim lighted room alone.


	14. Stabbed by a Wench's Black Eye, Part 2

I walk around the groups of people trying to find Zoe and ask her some questions as well. I catch a glimpse of hair flinging in my face and my eyes adjust and see Zoe holding two drinks. She smiles and starts wobbling.

"Sorry, Rachel didn't see you there!" She says laughing.

"It's okay. I was wondering if I can ask you something." Her smile becomes a straight face and she gives me a strange face.

"What is it? The drinks are over there and they are pretty good!" She exclaims walking away.

"No thanks, I was wondering, where did you and Drake go last night?" I ask. She stops completely and turns around walking towards me with a fake grin on her face.

"What are you talking about?" She asks naïvely.

"You and Drake left the party yesterday and never came back."

"Oh, you mean that! He helped me fix my car!" She walks away still carrying the drinks in her hand.

"What a liar." I mumble under my breath. She turns around, she heard me.

"What was that?"

"I didn't say anything." I reply. She nods her head and walks away almost skipping. My head turns and I see Eric walking towards me I back away and hide behind a couple. They smile and back away to another group mingling like other people, Eric spots me and works his way around groups of people and I move behind a plant. He stands right in front of me but passes me up and continues to look for me; I let out a breath but inhale it back in sharply seeing Drake and a girl in a red dress.

The blonde hair up is up in a bun and I move to her face to see Taylor talking to Drake very close to each other. Is he trying to get back at me because of Eric? He then looks up and walks away leaving Taylor standing there in the middle of the room. I walk in the same direction Drake took and see he went outside to an orange colored car, I move towards a window to get a better view and see Drake, and Zoe putting Grayson in the car.

"There you are," I hear a guy's voice and turn around to see Eric standing behind me. "I need to tell you something." I look back out the window and the car door shuts and Drake moves to the other side of the vehicle.

"Can we talk later?" I ask urgently.

"It's important though." He states raising his hands. I hear a jingling sound and see his car keys in his hand. I turn back around and see Zoe putting on her jacket with the car door open to the driver's seat.

"I need your car keys!"

"Why?" He asks.

"My mom called and it is an emergency! Please Eric!" He looks at his keys and hands them to me reluctantly.

"Thanks!" I exclaim and run out the door that led to the car. When I open the door Zoe gets in the car and leaves the driveway. I hear footsteps and Roman appears next to me with his black tuxedo on like Drake.

"Where are they going?" I ask Roman. He doesn't look at me but instead turns his head at Eric's car hood, a weird chip sits on top of it and Roman looks at me and touches it. A light appears and a hologram of a person wrapped in black begins talking.

"Mr. and Mrs. Montrose we have your son. If you want to see him again you will use your influence to secure the release of these five Atrian prisoners from the 'Crate'." Words in Atrian appear on the screen and are translated into names. "If you refuse or alert the authorities we will reveal the true identities as leaders of the Red Hawks and will get your son back one piece at a time…" The hologram fades and Roman turns it off and holds it turning to me.

"Don't tell anyone about this." He says walking out of the driveway.

"Where are you going?" I ask. He stops and faces me.

"To stop Drake and Zoe."

"By walking, you might not make it in time." I say.

"How am I supposed to get there then?" I pull out Eric's car keys and Roman runs to me.

"Thanks." He says reaching his hands at the car keys. I pull away and move to the driver's seat.

"What do you think you're doing?"

"I'm coming with you." I say and open the door and put the keys in the ignition causing the headlights to come on.

"Fine." He says. He opens the door and when he closes it I put my foot on the gas pedal. I turn out the driveway and proceed down the street.

"Where do you think they went?" I ask Roman.

"There!" Roman points ahead at a stop sign and a car starts to drive off. I follow the car trying to keep my distance to make it look like we aren't following them. They turn down a number of streets and start to drive faster. I push on the pedal and accelerate trying to catch up to them; they speed up and take a sharp turn down another street causing me to drift. Roman's arm reaches in front of me and his hand grabs the wheel and turns it and I drive down the same street they turned. At the end of the street they start to drive slowly.

"What are they doing?" Roman asks aloud. When we get close I see the reflection of water and a boat, no, a ferry, they are boarding a ferry; I turn another way.

"They're over there!" Roman says looking at the ferry.

"We wouldn't make it; we have to go another way." I reply driving. The wind rushes against us and my hair is probably a mess right now. I continue driving and see a bridge in the distance I speed up passing a few cars that 'honk' as we drive by. I turn onto the bridge and we cruise along the iron bridge watching the ferry near closer to land. When we get off the bridge I pull down a dirt road where the ferry should let off.

"Stay here." Roman says standing up in the car. He starts taking off his tuxedo and underneath it he has on a black tank top with his markings on his arm. He looks up at me and grins.

"It's a rental." I nod my head and he opens the car door.

"Stay here and turn off the headlights." When I turn off the headlights the darkness takes it place and on the left a car drives down this road. Drake and Zoe. Roman runs up the hill and stops in front of the car with headlights shining on him. He shouts something and then the car starts toward him and he isn't moving until the last second but instead the car changes direction and falls into a ditch. I throw off my heels and sprint out the car feeling the soft, wet grass against my feet; Roman runs down to the ditch and when I arrive he is carrying Grayson out of the car. Behind him Drake appears helping him setting Grayson on the ground.

"Grayson!" I shout and run to him. I get on my knees at his side and see his glossy eyes staring into nothing.

"What did you do to him?" Roman asks Drake with concern.

"Zoe put something in his drink, he's fine." Drake says in a calm tone. I look at Drake and feel my anger boiling up inside and move to him.

"You call that fine!" I shout gesturing my hands at Grayson's body.

"He's been drugged and kidnapped, he's not fine! Do you have any idea what would happen to our people if the humans found out about this?!" Roman scolds Drake.

"I'm doing this FOR our people," Drake responds heatedly. "The Trags are fighting for our freedom, we are freeing Atrians from the Crate we are going to get my mother! Roman, the Trags can't find out about this both of you need to go." Drake says. Roman snaps his finger trying to wake Grayson. I feel my hand rising and I slap Drake on the cheek. A big red mark appears shaping my hand and Drake touches it in disbelief.

"What was that for?" He asks in pain.

"For kidnapping Grayson, for lying to me, and for almost killing Roman!" I shout. He looks at Roman leaning over.

"Go Roman now!" Drake says. I feel something hit my head like a rock and I fall down but I am picked up by someone. I angle my head and see Zoe pointing a gun at my head, I see spots and I feel dizzy but I can see both Roman and Drake staring at Zoe and me.

"Put the gun down!" Roman says.

"I've got a better idea. You're going to do everything I say or she dies and I'll spare you." Zoe says. Roman and Drake both put their hands up, I see Drake staring at Zoe with fury. I step on her foot and she falls face first onto the wet grass, I start to move away but she knocks me down with her foot and grabs me into her grasp once more.

"You human bitch!" She shouts feeling her nose, blood appears on her hand and her neck glows blue.

"You aren't human?" I ask. She smiles and turns her direction towards Drake and Roman.

"Get on the ground and put your hands behind your heads!" She demands. Drake and Roman listen and get on the ground looking at Zoe the whole time.

"You told us you spare us if we do what you say." Roman says.

"Ah, are you feeling let down? Betrayed? Know you know how I feel." She takes the butt of her gun and hits Drake on his head.

"Drake!" I yell. She holds me back and points the gun at him.

"You let me down Drake. You broke the Trag code, so now you have to die. Roman witnessed our plan too so he has to die too."

"You sick bitch!" I shout. She gives me a malicious smile and turns her attention back to Drake.

"Wait! Think about this, I can help you. My uncle is Castor. I have good connections."

"Shut up!" Zoe says. When she looks at Roman, Drake gets up and knocks the gun out of her hand and pushes me out the way and her to the ground. I land on the ground and hit my head once more.

"We should kill her," Drake says with his hands on her throat. "If we don't she'll tell the Trags they'll come after both of us."

"We can't do this." Roman says putting his hand on Drake's shoulder.

"Maybe you can't but I can, I'm a warrior."

"Warriors protect Atrian lives. Whether we like it or not she's one of us." Drake gets up and throws her to the side. She starts giving a twisted laugh when Drake points the gun at her.

"You signed your own death sentences and for what? Humans? You think you saved Grayson, you know you just put off the inevitable. Enjoy your time with your humans' boys, their days are numbered." Zoe walks away and Drake puts the gun down and come running to me. He moves down next to me and takes off his tuxedo and puts it under my head. He wears a black tan top as well and he looks down at me.

"You almost could've died." Drake says. I grab his arm and move my hand down to his where he grabs it tightly.

"I know but I do anything for people I care about." I say. He smiles and scoops me in his arms carrying me to Eric's car. I hear him whispering something but my eyes close and I drift into the night.


	15. To Seek a Foe, Part 1

I woke up the next day in my bedroom with my family next to me. My mom said that Eric drove me home after I passed out at Grayson's party and I must've hit my head when I fell. But I knew that it wasn't true and that Drake, Roman, and me were almost killed by the Atrian psycho Zoe and no one else would ever know. Since then I'm in my bed doing nothing but reading and watching TV which gets pretty boring after a while. I keep thinking about Zoe and if she told the Trags about what happened last night and if Drake and Roman are okay.

"Hey Rach," I turn my head and see Emery standing in my doorway with her bag slung over her shoulder. "I'm going to hang out with Julia, mom is out shopping and so is dad. Then I'm going with Grayson to visit his mom."

"Okay, I have a cell phone, bathroom, TV remote, and a book. I'm good," Emery gives a small grin and walks away. "Tell Grayson I said it'll be okay!" I shout.

"Okay!" She shouts back. I lay my head back on my flat pillow and I sigh; I read the last chapter of my book and put on my nightstand and my eyes start to shut blocking out the light that peeks behind my curtains.

* * *

My eyes slowly open to the harsh brightness of a light above me, when my eyes fully I see a figure next to me. I turn my head and see Drake, shirtless standing over me. He doesn't look at me, like I'm not here.

"Drake?" I ask reaching to him. My hand passes through him sending a tremble through me and then he starts to walk toward me, moving closer. But he walks through me and I freeze up gasping for air with the same tremble except worse, I turn around slowly and see where he was walking to. I see blonde hair that quickly whips around revealing Taylor smirking as Drake walks to her; he touches her cheek then pulls her to him and kisses her.

"Drake?"

He turns around as if he hears me now and they both stare at me smiling.

"He doesn't love you, Rachel." Taylor says.

"You thought that kiss meant something between me and you?" Drake asks. He kisses Taylor again each kiss getting more heated and deeper.

"Drake?" I start to feel myself slipping.

"Drake? Drake?" I see the image of Drake and Taylor fade and blackness fills.

* * *

I wake up once again except my head is against something soft. I feel something warm touch my right cheek and turn over and see Roman next to me.

"Roman? Where am I?" I ask him. He smiles and still looks at me. I sit up and see that I'm in a unfamiliar bed, I start to get out but a hand pushes me back down and Roman holds me down.

"Roman what are you doing?" I ask panicky. He puts his finger against my lips and he kisses me on my cheek. I move his finger off my lips.

"Roman, I have to go!" I protest. He then kisses me on the lips and I'm caught off guard for a second but then move away from him. He tries to get back to me but I slap across the face.

"Stop!" I shout.

"Why? Drake is with Taylor, you and I both know that." He says.

"No he isn't! I don't believe you!" Then the blackness comes again.

* * *

"No!"

I jolt up from my bed, panting. I look around my room and see it is still the same and I fall back down on my bed. Something vibrates against my leg and I reach down and feel my phone, I pick it up and see Emery's name.

"Hello?" I ask.

"Rachel! Come to the hospital quick!"

"What's wrong?!"

"Lukas!" She shouts.

_At the Hospital…_

I walk with Emery and I see Drake and Roman at the end of the hallway. Drake wears a white shirt and Roman wears a gray shirt that buttons up.

"How's Lukas?" Roman asks.

"He's the same… not good," Emery replies. When I first arrived I went straight to Lukas' room and saw him with his mother holding his hand. The mask covered his nose and mouth and he was breathing shallow breaths, his mom just looked at him hoping he'll be okay. "I was hoping there was something you can do to help him." Emery directs at Roman.

"Emery, cipher can't cure him—

"Wait, she knows about cipher-"Drake says.

"Cipher is real?" I ask. They all look at me and nod their heads. Roman looks at Drake who looks concerned.

"They can be trusted." Roman tells him.

"What about her Red Hawk boyfriend?" Drake asks.

"Grayson, me, and Rachel saved you from the Red Hawks during the carnival remember that?" Emery asks. "Your secret is safe with me; I just want Lukas to get better."

"Emery, Lukas can only be cured using black cipher that was cut the same day, the leaf you found won't work."

"Can we get more?" Emery asks.

"We're working on it; we think it's being grown somewhere remote."

"There was a camper brought in yesterday with the same symptoms, he was found a Blackbriar Lake State Park. It doesn't get more remote than that."

"Where is it?" Roman asks.

"I can take you there I actually know it pretty well, our dad used to take us hiking there all the time."

"No, it's too dangerous."

"I'm going to do whatever I can to help Lukas, so you can either come with me or I'll search the park on my own." Emery says.

"Fine, I'll go with Emery you find Zoe." Roman says to Drake walking off with Emery.

"I'm going with you Drake." I say.

"No, you're staying here where it's safe and watch your friend." He states and walks off toward the sitting area. I see him sit down next to Taylor whose hand is on her throat; I move behind a plant and watch them. Drake touches her knee but she hits it and he retracts and they continue talking, he then starts holding he hand. Taylor then starts to write something on his palm but then he gets up and kisses her on the cheek. I watch in shock as he walks away, Drake and Taylor are together? My heart stops beating and feels like its falling into pieces. I move out behind the plant and follow Drake, I need answers.

_Unknown House…_

Drake puts his hand up and reads what Taylor wrote and walks up a sidewalk to the house. He fixes his gloves and looks through the glass and knocks on the door twice. No one answers and he runs to the side of the house climbing on some concrete blocks and over the fence.

"Really." I mumble. I go the same way Drake did and heave my body over the wooden fence and land on the other side tapping my head against the ground. I feel a little pain but I brush my legs off and continue to where I see Drake entering an open window. He moves the curtains aside and his body disappears after, I move slowly to the window and put one leg over followed by the other and move the curtains out of my way. I look down and see blow up beds and mattresses scattered across the floor and clothes for both boys and girls on a rack, and a bunch of technical stuff piled together. I try to walk quietly but I hear a 'crunch' and look down to see that I stepped on a bag of chips. I hear rustling and look up to see Drake turned around.

"What are you doing here? I told you to stay at the hospital." He says sounding annoyed.

"I wanted to come now I'm here, I have questions." I reply. He continues to look at all the technology trying to find something and starts walking around.

"What kind of questions?" He asks.

"What is black cipher? Why did you kiss Taylor?" I whisper the last part.

"What?" He asks confused. Then I see projectiles fly and hitting the wall, and Drake's body is glued to the wall with an arrow piercing his shoulder. He screams in agony and I rush over to him.

"Drake! You'll be fine!" I say trying to calm him down after hearing some grunts of pain and see him wince.

"How do I get it out?" He asks. I look past his body and see the arrow can be easily taken out but with some pain with it.

"You're going to have to slide it out." He looks at me and looks back down and proceeds to move backwards. I watch as the farther he moves back the more I see the blood stained arrow, when he gets it out there is a small hole that the arrow left through his arm and shirt that is bleeding. He walks over to a plant and pulls off a leaf and puts it under his shirt and onto his shoulder.

"That could've been you, Rachel." He says and continues to search for whatever he is looking for. He lifts up a shirt that was tossed onto a chair and he picks up a chip and puts it in the computer. Pictures of Zoe and Taylor appear on the screen but then a picture of a lake house shows up and Drake then pulls out a phone from a pile.

"Hey, it's Drake. I'm at Zoe's; it looks like she's been living in some kind of Trag hideout. I found a bunch of photos perfect place to grow black cipher if you didn't want anybody to see it." He says into the phone.

"Alright, I'll get there as soon as I can." He pulls the arrow that hit him out of the wall and with a jacket in his arms he starts walking to the window. I run up to him and grab his arm.

"You're bleeding." I tell him.

"I can handle it; it's just a little blood." I walk over to a bed and pick up a loose towel.

"Just a little blood, an arrow was so close to piercing your heart but you got lucky and it hit your arm." I walk back over to him.

"We don't have time, let's go." He demands. I ignore him.

"But at least let me help your shoulder." He grunts and reluctantly turns his body to face me. I look at his shirt and move my arm up under the white hem, I feel his muscles and his warm skin but I focus back to his shoulder. I rub the towel against his wound and he winces but I soon feel his muscles relax, I move my arm back down and toss the towel on the ground.

"Let's go." I say urgently and walk over to the window with Drake following behind me.


	16. To Seek a Foe, Part 2

_At Blackbriar Park…_

I walk on leaves that crunch under my shoes as Drake and I make our way to the lake house.

"Slow down Rachel!" I hear Drake shout but I keep on walking trying to become far away as possible from him. I hear the sound of the crunching leaves moving closer behind me and feel Drake grab my shoulder.

"Why are you going so fast?" He asks.

"Why are you so slow?" I ask back and continue walking leaving Drake behind me. I walk over a raised tree root and step on grass instead of leaves.

"Can we stop?" I don't walk any further and see Drake behind me holding his shoulder working over the root towards me.

"Come on, we're almost there." I say and walk again but Drake pulls me back.

"What's wrong?" He asks. I shrug his hand off of me and he brings it back to his side.

"Really, Drake. You know what you're doing. I saw it at the ball and at the hospital today." I tell Drake who backs up as I move forward to him. "I see what is going on between you and Taylor." I turn on my heel and walk away.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that I saw you kiss Taylor at the hospital!" I shout. I feel my eyes tearing up and Drake touches my cheek and his thumb caresses my skin softly.

"It isn't what you think." He says trying to meet my eyes with his

"It isn't? It isn't just another lie?" I move his hand with mine and we continue walking until we hear noise. Drake takes lead and raises the arrow and we both start to run until we stop and see Roman on his knees and Zoe holding a sword at his neck.

"Hey Zoe," Drake says walking to her. "You know what your problem is? You talk too damn much." Zoe looks down at Roman and pulls the sword away and walking over to Drake instead. Roman gets up and backs away.

"Roman, I got this." Roman looks at Drake. "Go! GO!" Drake shouts. Roman starts running to the lake house and Drake and Zoe begin to fight. Zoe slashes at Drake's head and torso violently and swiftly as if she were a striking snake. Drake dodges all her attempts until Zoe elbows him in the face causing him to back down, she then hits him on his injured shoulder and he cries in pain. Then the lake house explodes and Drake tosses Zoe into the destruction and she disappears into flames.

"Drake!" I scream. I run to him and he grabs me in his arms and turns his back on the fire and we fall to the ground with Drake still holding me in his strong arms. I hear the wood fly and land next to us and the flames cracking. I lean my head against his chest never wanting to leave, he turns us over so that I'm on top of him and he is below me.

He smiles and brushes a piece of hair out of my face and I see him clearly now. He moves his head to mine and our lips brush, I wrap my arms around him and he wraps his arms around my waist. We keep on kissing until I remember, Taylor. I move out of his arms and roll on my side next to him; I sit up and brush the dirt off my back. He sits up too and wraps his arm around me even though I got off of him. I glance at him and stand up now and walk next to a tree and lean against it.

"Rachel, what happen between me and Taylor was nothing-"

"Nothing? You kissed her and you kissed me, twice. No telling how many times you probably kissed her." He looks away at the last part. It is true then, he's with Taylor.

"Just don't lie to me. I'm tired of this, what happened to the Drake that helped me at carnival, read in the library after school?"

"I'm still the same guy-"

I turn around and face Drake who still looks away at the ground.

"All I see is a Trag sometimes, keeping secrets, telling lies, kidnapping and for what?" I ask. He looks at me now with his eyes intense and his voice sharp.

"My mother." He replies.

"Your mother? Your mother would be ashamed of you." I say pointing at Drake. His eyes are now full of hurt and sadness, he walks away with a sprint and I follow feeling guilt for what I said.

"Roman! Thought you both were dead! Glad to see you're not!" Drake says watching Roman and Emery. Were Emery and Roman kissing?

_At the Hospital…_

Drake and I sit five seats away from each other; we don't talk but only sit in silence waiting for Roman to use the black cipher on Lukas. I hear footsteps and look up and see Lukas' mother running towards me with a blissful smile on her face.

"It's Lukas! He's breathing Rachel!" I smile and get up from my seat to hug her. I could hear her laugh and hear her crying tears of joy, I still hug her and let go so she can wipe her eyes. She runs back down the hallway probably to find Emery and I look over a Drake who stares at Lukas' mom with a grin on his face. When he notices me staring he gets up from his seat and walks away out of the hospital doors. I look after him and clutch my necklace I got from the Sector feeling mixed emotions.


	17. An Old Feast, Part 1

"Can I ask you something?"

"Sure." Emery replies.

"Did you and Roman kiss yesterday?" I ask stopping in front of Emery. She looks away with her cheeks flushing madly.

"Maybe." We both smile and continue walking down the hall.

"I'm not the only one who kissed an Atrian." Emery says looking at me.

"What are you talking about?" I ask lying.

"I saw you and Drake on the night of the swim meet." I feel heat rush to my cheeks but it stops when we see Gloria and Castor walking together with guards behind them.

"Castor,"

"Emery," Castor says. "I'm here to discuss Dinaskyu with Ms. Garcia."

"Dinas-"

"Dinaskyu. It is an Atrian holiday celebrating family pretty much like combining Christmas and Thanksgiving." Castor explains to us.

"And for the first time the Atrian seven will be permitted to invite some of their human classmates." Gloria implies.

"Maybe you both will be lucky enough to get an invitation."

"Maybe," Emery says. I see her look off behind Castor and Roman stands next to a set of lockers.

"Umm, if you'll excuse me I have something to attend to before class." Emery walks away leaving me with Gloria and Castor.

"I see you have a night stone necklace," Castor says pointing to my necklace. "Lights up whenever there is a full moon."

"I saw it when we visited the Sector and I- well someone else persuaded me to get it." I say looking at the blue stone on my neck thinking about the day Drake bought it for me.

"You know sometimes it is given as a sign of love between Atrians." Castor informs with a grin. Then Gloria and Castor continue walking down another hall with the guards trailing behind. Did Drake know that? I then see him standing at his locker putting books away. He shuts his locker door and stops when he sees me and proceeds toward my direction.

"Rachel, I need to talk to you." He says stopping in front of me. I reluctantly nod my head and he grabs my arm and pulls me out of the hallway. He opens the door to an unused classroom and brings me inside shutting the door behind us. The classroom is pitch-black until he turns on a desk lamp that lights a portion of the classroom. He sits down in a rolling chair and puts his hands on his knees.

"I'm sorry. About Taylor and me," He says apologetically. "I don't know what happened." I walk over to him and put a hand on his shoulder, he looks up at me.

"Apology accepted." I tell him. He grins and puts his hand on top of mine and his other arm around my waist. He brings me closer to him; I smile and move down to where I'm sitting on his lap. I see him move forward and when I close my eyes I feel his lips on mine, I wrap my arms around his neck and his go around my waist pulling me closer. He places a kiss on my neck and stops; I look at his green eyes while my finger traces his mark that starts at his ear to his neck. His hand touches my cheek and moves down and stopping at my neck where the necklace is.

"I've heard about Dinaskyu." I say. His smile fades away and he puts his hand down.

"I would invite you but I can't."

"Why?" I ask. He inhales a sharp breath and faces me.

"I have no family. My mother is in the Crate." He says.

"If it means anything, I would still come." I tell him. A light grin comes onto his face.

"That'd be great." Then the bell rings and I get up from his lap and he stands up, we both walk out the classroom and I turn off the light.

_At the Sector…_

When I walk out of the bus and into the Sector I could feel the sense of calmness and happiness come over me. I look at my left and see Drake standing there wearing a black suit, he smiles and looks at my body. I'm wearing a bluish-green dress that stops at the end of my knees and has a thin black belt wrapping around the middle.

"You look amazing." Drake says pleasantly.

"Thank you, you don't look too bad yourself." I tell him and he smiles.

"Let me take you to my pod." He says. We walk along the narrow streets of the Sector side by side and I see all the flowers that are on tables and around the women necks. Some flowers were bright reds and dark blues and some were white and a soft yellow. The children were in the streets gathered in groups and laughing and playing, and I could see through some pod windows families sitting together wearing their nice clothing.

"Here we are." Drake announces stopping in front of a door. He looks at me before opening the door and I walk inside of his pod. The size is vast complete with a kitchen, sitting area, dining room, and a hallway with his bedroom probably.

"What do you think?" Drake asks watching me look around.

"It is nice." I say with a smile.

He walks over to his kitchen table and sits down in a chair sighing, I walk over to him and see in his face that something isn't right.

"Are you okay?" I ask concerned.

"This is probably the last time I'll see you," He says sadly.

"What do you mean?"

"The Trags want me to become the new operative outside the Sector, have my markings removed and live like a human. Go to another city."

"You can't! Why you?" I ask.

"I'm being tested, and if I don't they'll question my loyalty and probably kill me."

I feel like water and the tears that sting behind my eyes are painful. I see Drake grab my hand and hold it tightly, his other hand touches my cheek and I face him.

"I may be sent away, but I wouldn't have wanted it to end any other way or with any other people." Drake tells me sincerely. He leans over and kisses me on my lips and on my cheek.

"Goodbye Rachel."


	18. An Old Feast, Part 2

_Drake's Pod_

I still sit in the chair, I feel tears run down my cheeks and I wipe them with my hand but they keep coming back. Drake is leaving, forever. I clutch my necklace feeling the stone and a small grin comes onto my face but it fades when I think about him leaving. Why now? Why him? If I can, I want to see him one last time before I never see him again. I'll forget his soft kisses, his face, his eyes; he'll become just a memory. I put my hands on my forehead and stare at the table watching my tears drip on the top. Then I hear the door to Drake's pod open, I turn around in my chair and see Gloria and an Atrian woman with blonde hair enter, they look startled just as I am by their appearance.

"Miss Whitehill, may I ask what you are doing in here?" Gloria asks.

"I'm waiting for someone." I reply looking down.

"Well, this is Soroya and this is her pod," Gloria tells me. "I thought you would like to change before the Dinaskyu feast."

"Thank you." Soroya replies softly. When Gloria shuts the door, Soroya runs to a stool and pulls it out and gets on top of it. She reaches for something above the ceiling and pulls out a black bag and runs to her window and leaves.

"Umm." I say stunned. I walk over to the window and see her sprint across buildings and to the street of the Sector and disappear.

_10 Minutes Later…_

"I'm sorry for leaving like that." Soroya apologizes to me.

"It's fine, just very sudden." I say with a grin. She smiles back and gives me her hand.

"I don't believe we properly met, I'm Soroya and you are?"

"Rachel Whitehill." I announce and we shake hands. She pulls out the chair Drake sat in and sits down; and gives me a quizzed look.

"You said you were waiting for someone earlier, can I ask who that may be."

"I'm waiting for Drake-"

"Drake," Soroya says quietly. I see her eyes tear up and she looks at me with a smile. "Drake, do you know how my son is?" If Drake is her son, then Soroya is his mother!

"You are Drake's mother." I confirm. She nods her head in agreement. Drake's lost mother who was in the Crate for all this time has been released!

"I must get ready for the feast! Do you think Drake will be there?" She asks me. I nod my head and she closes her eyes and takes a breath. "After all these years, I can see my son again." A silver tear runs down her face.

"I'll go see if he is there." I tell Soroya.

"Yes, please do. I must get dressed." She walks off into a hallway and moves into a room where I hear the door shut. I walk out of the pod and continue to where Atrians enter for the feast, I walk in and see tables scattered across the area covered with Atrian food. Everyone is mingling amongst each other or walking around eating the different foods at each table. I look around and see Drake sitting at a table by himself; I walk over to the chair next to him and sit down. He looks up and looks back down forlornly; I glance to my left and see Roman walking over to us.

"You don't have to worry about leaving the Sector, Vega is releasing you." Roman says.

"How'd you do it?" Drake asks. He smiles and Castor calls him over.

"I'll tell you later." He walks away and Drake sighs with relief. I smile at him and he moves to me but hesitates and backs away.

"What's wrong?" I ask.

"I not sure the Trags would like to see me kiss a human, especially the daughter of Ray Whitehill." He replies looking around. I nod my head and reach over to grab what looks like a chip with a green and red spice spotted all over it.

"I wouldn't eat that, very spicy." Drake says. I put the chip back down and reach for glass that is in front of me.

"Is this okay?" I ask cautiously.

"Yeah that's fine, kind of like a juice." I bring the cup to my lips and stop after I see him smirking.

"What is in it?"

"Some fruit, a kind of berry, and some alcohol." I put the cup down and hit Drake playfully. He laughs but stops when Castor speaks.

"Attention everyone, this is Dinaskyu. It is a celebration of family, and this is the first time we had guests at our table." He walks to a table and raises a chalice. "To the Swamad, the backbone of our people!" Other Atrians join in chorus with 'Swamad!' and Castor moves on to another table. Drake leans over,

"He just announces the Atrian tribes." He whispers. I nod my head and watch as Castor raises the chalice again for another tribe but then I spot Gloria with Soroya. Soroya wears a white dress with her blonde hair flowing down her shoulders and a gold necklace. After Castor announces another tribe he becomes silent and his eyes are on Soroya.

"It is my belief that this year will change every Atrian's life for the better." Castor says ending with something in Atrian and walking away. Drake turns around to see what I'm looking at and his direction is on Soroya. They both look at each other as if time stopped and Drake gets up slowly from his chair and he stands up.

"Mom." Drake says. She smiles and they embrace, everyone watches them with beaming eyes and someone begins to clap and soon everyone is applauding. After they hug, everyone returns back to the feast and I see Roman walking with Emery.

"Rachel," Drake says. I look to him and Soroya who both look at me. "This is my mother."

"We have met already Drake." Soroya says. Drake looks at both of us confused and sits down with his mother. He stands up and raises a cup,

"Dinaskyu!"

"Dinaskyu!" We all shout back. He sits down and puts his hand on mine.

"I'm never going anywhere, okay?"

"Okay."


	19. Yet Hanging In the Stars, Part 1

"So, how was Dinaskyu?" Caroline asks.

"It went well; someone's mother got released from the Crate." I reply and remember Drake hugging his mother for the first time in forever.

"That's very lovely, maybe that is another step for humans and Atrians becoming friends." Caroline smiles and opens her locker.

"Maybe." She gets her books and we continue walking until we pass the gym.

"Drake!" I hear someone say. I look over and see Taylor with her blonde flowing hair standing in front of the gym. She wears a bright yellow top with a blue skirt and leans against the door showing her leg off. I grab Caroline and we move behind a wall and I look over and Drake comes over and looks at her leg.

"Meet me in the locker room." She whispers deviously. I clench my fists and my nails dig into my skin.

"I can't." Drake says.

"Why not?" Taylor pouts.

"I just can't." He says and walks off. Taylor watches him and paces inside the gym, my fists loosen and I sigh with relief.

"What was that about?" Caroline asks behind me. I turn around and give her a weird look.

"What?"

"You clenched your fists. Taylor asked him to probably get it on, if you know what I mean." I look away and feel my cheeks redden.

"Oh my gosh, you're in love with Drake!" She exclaims. I quickly put my hand over her mouth and put her back against the wall.

"Don't tell anyone!" She nods her head in agreement and I take my hand off of her mouth.

"Does anyone else know?"

"Only you and Emery." I tell her. She smiles sheepishly and takes my hand and we start walking.

"Are you going to the meteor shower party?" I ask trying to change the subject.

"Yeah, wait don't get me off topic!" I sigh knowing that it didn't work and she stands in front of me stopping the both of us.

"Did you kiss yet?" She asks.

"Uhh, none of your business." I respond. She rolls her eyes and I lead us to class.

_Library…_

"Stupid health." I mumble. I erase the previous answer I had and put down the answer in the textbook. The eraser shavings go off the page and onto the table and I sigh and continue writing.

"Do you need anything?" Ms. Cragston calls from her desk. I turn around in my chair and see her looking at her computer.

"No Ms. Cragston."

"What?!"

"No! Ms. Cragston!" I shout.

"Okay!" She says. I turn back around and in the chair in front of me is Drake.

"She needs a better hearing aid." Drake says. I laugh a little until Ms. Cragston shushes me; he looks down at my work and takes my hand.

"Come with me."

"Drake, I have-"I start.

"Just come on." He pulls me out of my seat and we walk up the ramp and stop at the door of the storage room. He opens it revealing all the shelves with books inside of many boxes stacked everywhere. He brings me inside and shuts the door.

"What are we doing in here?" I ask.

"Ms. Cragston wants you to be quiet." Drake says smirking. He puts his hand on my cheek and his lips make contact with mine. I shiver at the touch of his kisses but soon feel his warmth and I'm enwrapped in his arms. My hands move over his arms and I feel the pure muscles he has, his hands move in circles on my back but soon he works his way up into my shirt and his hand moves up. I inhale a sharp breath and he backs away bringing his hand to his side.

"I can't-"I start.

"I understand, I shouldn't have done that to you." Drake says looking away with his cheeks red from embarrassment.

"Drake, you did nothing wrong. It's just that Atrians and humans still don't get along and what would happen if they find out an Atrian, especially a member of the Trags loves Ray Whitehill's daughter? You would probably be taken out of the program or worse, killed." I say growing quieter at the end. "If there is a day when Atrians and humans will finally be at peace and free-"

"I will always be with you especially when that day comes." Drake says comforting me.

"You really believe it will happen?" I ask.

"Yes I do."

I look at the door and head over to it.

"Let's get out of here." Drake nods his head and follows me out. We both walk down the ramp, towards the table where I left my papers.

"Are you going to the party?" I look over to him and see him stop in the process.

"I can't."

"Why?" I ask.

"Something in the Sector involving my mother." He replies. I can see in his eyes he is lying.

"Don't lie to me, Drake." I say and continue walking. He grabs my arm and stops me from walking.

"I just can't tell you." I nod my head in understanding.

"I'm sorry." I tell him.

"I'll try to make it." I smile and walk over to the table and grab my papers and backpack. He leaves the library and I look over and see him disappear into the hallway.

"I knew it!" I hear a voice exclaim. I turn around and see the blonde hair of Taylor moving out from behind a bookshelf. She strides over to me with her hands clenched at her sides.

"I saw you with Drake!" She states.

"Okay, you have blonde hair. Let's make observations." I say grinning. I see she only becomes more angered and she points her finger at me.

"You're the reason Drake has stopped seeing me! And you'll pay!" Taylor says raising her voice.

"Shhh!" Ms. Cragston says loudly. She moves closer to where we are face to face.

"You better not come to my party." I lean over and whisper into her ear,

"Watch me." She backs away and glares. She leaves me in the library alone with Ms. Cragston who I see staring at me.

"Damn." Ms. Cragston says.


	20. Yet Hanging In the Stars, Part 2

_Rachel's Room_

"Are you still going?" I hear Caroline ask me from outside my bathroom door.

"Yeah, I would like to see her try to get at me." I reply. I hear Caroline chuckle and I open the door wearing the swimsuit I chose for tonight. It is a dark blue bikini with white polka dots scattered around. "This is going to be a fun night." Caroline exclaims almost jumping.

_At Taylor's House_

When we walk to the pool, it looked like a sea of drinks and swimsuits. Everyone danced to the party music that was being played by the dj that had their own spot with a full electronic system.

"Do you see Goldilocks?" Caroline whispers. We both scan the party looking for her significant blonde hair, and walk around and see guys looking at both of us and grinning. One guy runs up to Caroline and starts to dance with her, she smiles and begins to dance along. I laugh until a hand touches my shoulder, is it Drake? I turn around and see Eric standing behind me, the first thing I see is that he is shirtless and his light orange swim trunks. Both of his hands hold drinks and he hands one to me, my hands grasps the glass and we both drink.

"I see your head has healed." He tells me pointing at my forehead.

"I was really drunk." I say back. We both smile and he starts looking around the crowd with determined eyes.

"Hey, do you know if Julia is here?" He asks. What does he need Julia for?

"No, she didn't come." I reply. He stops looking around, sighs and walks away. Why did he need Julia? I stop thinking when I see a guy looking around and when his eyes land on me, he makes a beeline towards me.

"Are you Rachel?" He asks.

"Who is asking?" I ask back and take a sip of my drink.

"Taylor told me to find you and bring you to her." He says pointing his finger on his right. I follow his finger and see Taylor holding a drink and watching both of us.

"Sure," I follow the guy working the way through the crowd of dancing people. He walks through easily and his pace fastens as we near her, I see her eyes staring through me and I look away avoiding her gaze. When we stop in front of her she looks at the guy,

"Thanks Drew." The guy, Drew, walks away casually and then Taylor gestures me into the pool she was standing in only seconds ago. I step in and feel the coolness of the water rush to my feet and then up my whole body which made me shiver a little.

"Is the water too cold for you?" Taylor asks mockingly. I look over at Taylor who drinks from her glass looking at me innocently. I give her a fake grin and submerge my body into the water, the cold rushes around me and I ignore it the best I can and take a gulp of my drink.

"Cute necklace." She tells me pointing at my neck.

"Thanks, do you want to know where I got it?" Taylor watches me waiting for an answer and drinks a little.

"When we went to the Sector… and Drake bought it," I tell her. Taylor's eyes widen and she stops breathing, she swallows her drink and takes a gasp of air.

"What did you say?" She asks.

"You heard me." She looks at me and her expression becomes more serious than it was before.

"You should leave." Taylor says with her voice cracking. I look at her expression and see hurt and ager altogether, her eyes begin to water but they stop when she sees I'm looking at her.

"Look-"I start.

"I have to tell you something," She says slowly.

"What is it?" I ask.

"I- nothing. It's nothing." She says. I look at her and I can tell she wants to be left alone; I stand up and get out of the pool. I walk away and see Caroline with her curly brown hair bouncing as she jogs to me.

"What I happened? I saw you guys talking-"She says.

"Everything seems fine, now." I say cutting her off. I turn back to look at Taylor who now is standing, dancing and a bunch of guys are at her feet dancing with her.

"Well, at least everything is fine." She grins and we walk into a crowd and begin to dance with other people who are probably anxious as well to see the meteor shower.

_15 Minutes Later…_

"Do you think he'll still come?" Caroline asks me drying her wet curly hair with a towel.

"You mean Drake?" I ask. She rolls her eyes and lays the towel against the chair.

"Of course I mean Drake."

"Probably not, he probably is just going to watch the shower in the Sector." I reply wrapping a towel around my swimsuit. I look down at my necklace and smile, even though he isn't here, it feels like this necklace is a piece of him and he is with me.

"Is that-"Caroline says. I look up confused and follow her gaze, I see Drake walking towards us with his hands in his jacket pockets.

"I'll leave you two alone." She says picking up her towel and walking away. I look over and before she disappears I see her giving me a thumbs up.

"Hey." I hear Drake's voice. I turn around and see him standing in front of me, his face is covered in bruises.

"What happened?" I ask.

"It's the Sector, anything can happen now," He replies smiling. I shake my head and smile back. "How was the party?" He asks.

"It was good, lots of guys."

"Well, I'm sorry you couldn't see me in swim trunks." I laugh a little and he laughs too. He raises his hand to my face and he places it on my cheek. Before he could, I move my lips to his and we end up in a slow, deep kiss. He brings his other hand up on my cheek and I wrap my arms around his torso, bringing him closer. He breaks off and his eyes look up.

"Look." He says. I look up with him and see appearing in the white sprinkled sky, meteors soaring across the night sky. One by one they pass and soon disappear in the air; I rest my head on his shoulder as we watch.

"Sorry to interrupt, but Rachel and I have to leave." We both turn around and see Caroline standing behind us. Drake and I both move off of each other and I take one last look at Drake before I walk over to Caroline and we start walking away.

"Well, what happened?" She asks happily.

"We held each other, and I never wanted to let go." I respond and for some reason feeling poetic.

"Oh, I love, love!" She exclaims.


	21. Storm That Blows So, Part 1

Everywhere I look I get withering gazes from everyone in the hallway. Most people had their phones in their hands and they were watching the video about Roman and Emery. When I pass by they all look up from the little, bright blue screens and just stare not in fear but in dismay, as if the Whitehill name tainted. I then see the familiar face of Ccaroline as she runs to me. She stops in front of me and then turns around to face everyone.

"Yes, she is a human just like us. She can also speak English. EVERYONE GOT THAT?" She says speaking the last part slowly and loud. All eyes go to her and everyone starts going back to their regular routines. She turns back to me and throws her hair behind her shoulder.

"Everyone saw that video." She says quietly.

"Tell me about it." I say back looking at the teens around us.

"Well, I have to go and make sure my partner did our project." I nod my head and she walks down the hallway and turns down another one. I continue walking and no one looks at me anymore but they still stare at their phones and the video is playing. I sigh and think about the video. What would happen if Drake and I were caught? Drake could end up with a bullet in his chest or possibly whatever deadly weapon the Trags have. I turn down the hallway and see Grayson walking to Drake, I take a step back and watch them began to have a conversation. I can barely hear what they're saying with their hushed voices, but Grayson then walks away and Drake stares after him. I move away from the wall and walk over to Drake.

"Hey." I say. He jumps a little and turns around only to sigh with relief.

"What was that about?" I ask weirdly. Drake looks around and moves to my ear, I feel his warm breath and he whispers,

"Grayson knows about Zoe." He backs away and I become confused.

"What?! He could tell the cops-"I start.

"I know I just have to give him the information he wants." He says. I lean against his locker and close my eyes in thought. I then feel a hand on my hip and open one eye and Drake quickly takes his hand off of me. I smile and open both of my eyes to see him grinning.

"Someone could've seen you." I say. He looks around and I join him to see everyone completely oblivious.

"I'm pretty sure no one saw." He says. I then see a flash come from the corner of my eye and the sound of thunder.

"Strange," I say quietly.

"What?" He asks confused.

"I checked the weather and it said we were supposed to have sun all day." I tell him looking at the window.

"Well, you know sometimes the weather isn't right." He says.

"Maybe." I keep looking out the window as the thunder rumbles over the school and the lighting flashes through the shades of the window.

_Cafeteria…_

After being ushered by Ms. Benton into the cafeteria, everyone sits down or walks around watching the monitors that instead of showing a bad storm, a hurricane right over Edendale.

"Everybody listen up please," Ms. Benton says. "You need to stay away from the windows, and the glass doors and you're permitted on the first floor only."

I walk over to a monitor while Drake and Roman meet up with each other and began to talk. I look on my left and catch a glimpse of Emery talking to Grayson, she begins walking away but he grabs her arm hastily. Roman then comes in between them and pushes Grayson with force. I run over and bring Grayson away while Drake pulls Roman off him. Drake brings Roman away and Grayson turns to look at me.

"I need to talk to you." He whispers and walks away past Emery.

"Still think he's not dangerous?" He asks her. After Emery walks over to Roman, I follow Grayson out of the cafeteria and see Drake looking at me, I continue following Grayson and he stops in an empty hallway.

"You know the party at my house?" He asks. I nod my head and he continues to speak,

"At first I thought I passed out during it but then I looked at my home security camera footage and saw Drake and Roman carrying both of us onto my lawn." I open my mouth as if I'm shocked.

"What?!" I ask acting stunned.

"He also killed Zoe." That's good news though, I think to myself.

"What?" He asks confused. I then realize I said that and I look away.

"Nothing," I say back quickly. I then hear footsteps in the hallway and Grayson grabs my arm and whispers to me,

"Be careful." And walks away casually, I turn my head to look at where the footsteps are coming from and see Drake walking towards me. I meet him halfway and he stops directly in front of me, I see half of his chest and snap back to bring my gaze back to him.

"What did he tell you?" He asks.

"Nothing new." I reply. He nods his head and takes a step closer to me. I look into those deep green eyes and I feel his lips crash against mine. He wraps his arms around my waist and I wrap my arms around his neck. Then I remember we're in the middle of the hallway, I break off the kiss and I feel bad when I see his confused face.

"Not now," I whisper and look around. The thunder fills the silence and he nods his head in understanding. "Maybe later." He smiles and we go our separate ways in the hallway.


	22. Storm That Blows So, Part 2

The wind became louder and stronger; the rain hit the glass of the window brutally. The rumble of thunder and the crack of lighting became more frequent and its flash became a familiar sight. I stood against the wall watching the storm happen in front of me in my own thoughts. I heard footsteps and quickly turned my head and saw Eric walking over to me.

"Are you okay?" He asks concerned.

I nod my head. "Just enjoying the downpour." I reply.

"How is it?"

"Worse than it was before." I look over at him and see him staring at his feet with his cheeks, red.

"Can I ask you something?" He asks quietly.

"Sure." He becomes silent for a while and then looks up and responds,

"Nevermind, I just figured it out. Thanks, though." He says.

"You're welcome." He starts walking away but I stop him.

"Have you seen Drake?" I ask.

"I saw him heading to the gym, I think."

"Thanks." I reply and walk towards the gym with Eric and I going our own ways.

_Gym…_

I push through the double doors and walk on the sleek, wooden floor while looking for any sign of Drake. I keep walking until I see the locker room door and enter slowly.

"Drake?" I whisper hoping he will respond. I look around and see nothing except the many white towels on the red benches, but then I hear voices. I peer around behind a wall and see Grayson talking to Drake.

"I already told her you know." Grayson says.

"Who?" Drake asks.

"Rachel, she should realize she has been kissing a killer." Grayson says. "And Taylor should know what happened to her best friend, don't you think? She is a friend of mine; I think she should know the truth."

"You don't want to do that." Drake replies.

"Then give me something." Grayson demands.

"You know those Atrian radicals you are worried about, they're called the Trags. Roman and I were trying to stop them."

"So, I'm supposed to believe you're the good guys and Zoe was what? Collateral damage?" Grayson asks in disbelief.

"You believe what you want, it's the truth." Drake replies.

"Then give me a name. Someone who knows the Trags' plan."

"I don't have a name for you." Drake says.

"There are six other Atrians in this school Drake. I suggest you start asking around and give me a name by the end of the day." Grayson says walking away but stops. "Oh, and unless you want me to tell the cops and Taylor everything I know about Zoe, you need to end it with Rachel because I won't have her become collateral damage too." He walks off and I bring my back against the wall hoping he doesn't see me but he doesn't and walks out of the locker room. I turn to the right and see Drake lying on a bench and lifting a barbell, I see his head move up and he automatically puts the barbell down on its stand.

"I need to talk to you." He says urgently.

"I heard you and Grayson talking."

"All of it?" Drake asks.

"Yeah," I reply. I stand in front of Drake while he looks down. "We can act like we ended it." He looks up and grins; I move down and kiss him. He is completely off guard at first but kisses me back and I we fall back on the bench. _Thud!_ I look up and see Drake moving back up and rubbing his head.

"Barbell," He says. I laugh and he begins to laugh too and we both stand up and walk out of the locker room.

_Cafeteria…_

"So, I'll act upset and leave the cafeteria, while you just look regretful or something." I whisper to Drake as we push open the cafeteria doors. I see Grayson close to us talking to someone and turn around to face Drake.

"Let's do it." He straightens his posture and begins to speak,

"I have to tell you something." Drake says. I look out the corner of my eye and see Grayson watching us in silence.

"What?" I ask.

"I don't want this anymore." He says gesturing to both of us.

"What?" I ask again. He says nothing in response.

"Are you breaking up with me?" I ask trying to sound teary. He looks down and I jog to the door, before the door close I see Grayson nodding in Drake's direction. It actually worked! He bought it! I want to jump around but I fight the feeling and wait outside in the hallway until Grayson leaves the cafeteria. The lights then go out and the school becomes shrouded with darkness, the other pair of double doors open and Emery with Julia walk side by side and turn down a hallway.

On the white floor I see a dot of red and walk to its location, I get down on one knee and realize its blood. I get up and peer around the hallway and see their shadows going upstairs, can today get any stranger? I jog and continue following their shadows down another hall until they disappear. I stop and look around trying to find any sign of where they went. I hear a door open and see Julia coming out of a room, I hide behind a wall and soon Emery appears and they start walking again. I trail behind slowly as they open the door to the lab. The lab? When they enter, I see Teri on the other side of the hallway walking to the other lab door and opening it.

"What are you doing here?" I hear a voice from behind me. I turn and see a round man with glasses and brown combed hair and a black jacket.

"Looking for a friend, she isn't here." I reply and begin to walk but his hand grabs my arm and he takes towards the lab.

"What are you doing?!" I ask in alarm.

"Shh, nothing is going to happen to you if you stay quiet. I'll let Ms. Benton deal with you." He whispers menacingly. I struggle against his grasp but then the sound of glass breaking comes from the lab and he brings me to the door. He looks inside as do I and I see Teri putting jars of something in her bag.

"Follow my lead." He whispers. He opens the door and walks in grabbing something from his jacket and walking next to Teri.

"Hello there." He says and puts his hand over Teri's mouth. In seconds, Teri is unconscious and he lays her down on a table. My eyes widen and my feet take off but the man grabs me again and throws me onto the ground, pain rushes up my elbow and I give him glare. He shuts the door behind him and locks it walking over to Teri.

"If you try anything, you'll be sorry." After that he begins to whistle examining Teri. I start to sit up and look at one of the many tables next to me and see a syringe filled with clear liquid. I grab it and wait till the man is distracted. His phone rings and he answers it, I can barely here what he says but he looks over to me.

"Stay put." And then he walks out the door. I rest my arm on the table feeling my elbow stinging with pain. I hear footsteps and look up to see Julia and Emery running next to Teri, Emery looks at me.

"What are you doing in here?" She asks.

"I could ask you the same thing." I reply looking at the door and seeing the man shadow. I look back over at Emery and see they got Teri's arms around them and they begin to carry her out, the door opens again and the man walks back in and shuts the door with his eyes on them. The lightning from outside flickers on his face showing his devilish expression.

"You weren't leaving, were you?" He asks.

"Let us go!" Emery says. Then wind tears off the blinds from the window and Emery grabs a microscope and throws it at the window causing a mess of glass and leaves to fly in. They run out with Teri leaving the man behind.

"Hell yeah!" I shout. The man looks over to me and points.

"Stay there!" He shouts and runs after them. I grip the syringe tightly and follow after them, I open the door and see him heading toward the stairs and I run after him. He runs down the stairs and grabs Julia by the arm and bringing her against the wall.

"Get away from her!" He then moves towards Emery and grabs her by the throat.

"Somebody help please!" Julia shouts. I run down and tap on the man's shoulder, he turns to face me with his grip tightening on Emery and I raise the syringe. I inject the syringe in his neck and he howls in pain, freeing his grip off of Emery. From the corner of my eye I see Roman coming up the stairs and pushing the man into the wall. He punches the man repeatedly in the face and his knuckles become covered in blood as does the man's face.

"That's enough!" Emery shouts.

"That's enough! Roman!" She shouts over the roar of the thunder and grabs his arm. Roman looks at his bloodied fist and then they face each other both breathing in hitched breaths. Today is probably the weirdest day ever.


	23. Give Me a Torch, Part 1

**Author's Note: Well, it's been a very long time. I know I can apologize over and over again but even I know nothing can make up for my abandonment of this story, or all my stories in general. The life and passion of these stories have been erratic over these years. It seems every show I've written for or was about to write for has been canceled so quickly that fans like me are left with so many questions. It also makes fanfiction hard to write because a plot line once planned is non-existent and I've debated whether or not I should continue these stories with my own plot line or simply delete them. Now I decided that I'll try to continue and see where it goes, along with the readers approval. Every week almost there is at least one new favorite or follow to my stories and I can only wonder why people are still reading my stories, even after seeing the date of the last update. I know I probably lost many readers whose patience with me had burned out, but if you're still with me or reading this message, I hope can make it up to you and everyone who has waited as well. Anyways, here is the new chapter of Counting Stars.**

* * *

I can't sleep.

Every time I close my eyes all I can see is that strange man being punched by Roman with blood all over his face. The pain, the blood, and the anger just flashes through my mind like the lightning of the raging storm that ended three hours ago. When Emery and I had gotten home our mother had embraced us in a tight hug, telling us about how our father was in the city helping clear the roads off. After speaking to her, we both went to our rooms and the house returned to the darkness and silence. Now, I stare at my ceiling, glancing at the clock seeing it read eleven o'clock. I sigh about to close my eyes again when I hear my bedroom door open. Emery stands in the doorway whispering my name.

"I'm awake," I respond. "You can't sleep?" She nods her head quickly.

"You?" She asks.

"Yeah," I then raise my bed covers and pat the space. "Come on." She eagerly walks in my room and gets under the covers, adjusting the pillow under her head.

"Are you okay?" I ask her.

"Yeah, why do you ask?"

"I heard you cry a little in your room. Did you have nightmare?"

She shakes her head slowly and her eyes water a little.

"It feels like a nightmare, though. I broke up with Roman." She says quietly, her voice cracking. I prop myself on my elbow and turn on the table side lamp next to me. The light illuminates her as she wipes away a small tear from her eye.

"What happened?" I ask moving my hand to hold hers and gripping tightly.

"At school today, Roman was drugged by Teri. She gave him some Atrian root and he said some brash things to me and they were true. The drug didn't change how he felt, it only changed his mentality. It wouldn't have worked out anyway." Emery explains sadly.

"I'm sorry Emery. That completely sucks," Emery nods her head in agreement. "He's the boy from the shed isn't he?" I ask.

"How did you-"

"Wild guess and the fact that you just confirmed it now. I never knew exactly what happened the night the Atrians crashed or why those men came to our house that day. All I knew was that you ran outside that night and wouldn't tell me anything no matter how much I asked."

Emery smiles a little before asking me. "So, how are things between you and Drake?"

My calm demeanor immediately falters and I hastily look away to avoid any eye contact with her.

"Uh, we broke up too." I lie hoping she won't ask any questions. I figure it is for the better if more people thought Drake and I ended things so Grayson and others would be less suspicious and to prevent Emery from lying if anyone asked.

"I'm so sorry, Rachel. I know how much you like him."

"Yeah. Now let's go to sleep, all this talking is making tired." I say ending the conversation.

"Agreed," Emery yawns as I turn off the light and we both go to sleep.

_The Next Day..._

Marshall High definitely never forgets that it is the winter season. Even though Louisiana never receives any snow, that doesn't stop Marshall from having their annual Winter Blast dance. Snowflakes are hanging from the ceilings and taped across the walls and lockers while all the couples happily observe the sight in each others arms. However, my 'break up' from an Atrian prevent Emery and I from doing the same.

"It's almost too festive, you know?" Caroline comments observing the hallway. "I mean think about it, only the northern parts of Louisiana get snow but it's not even a foot and schools still close up."

"Or maybe you're just upset that no one is going with you to the blast?" I ask watching her with a grin as she goes into her defensive stance.

"I am not! I simply think Marshall is just overdoing it, that's all." She insists with a shake of her head.

"Whatever you say," I reply chuckling until Caroline hits me with her textbook. "What? We both know I'm being honest."

"Look!" Caroline screeches pointing to the end of the hallway. My eyes follow hers and I see a guy strumming a guitar walking towards us with more guys behind him.

"Is that James Petre?" I ask aloud looking back at Caroline who nods her head excitedly. James and his friends stop next to my locker with the humming of his acoustic guitar filling the now quiet hallway. All eyes were on him and Caroline as he starts singing,

_"Say you will, oh please say you will_

_Make up your mind tonight_

_Say you do, please say you do cause I'll sing this till_

_You wanna be mine_

_Come on, come on_

_Say you will make up your mind tonight_

_Say you will, say you will_

_Be mine _

_Miss Caroline"_

By now Caroline's face is plastered with a big smile as she never takes her eyes off James who stops playing his guitar. James' friends behind him then exclaim, "Don't be cold as ice! If you go to the Blast with James it'll be nice!" Caroline nods her head and squeals as James embraces her while the hallway erupts with cheers. The applause, mine included eventually gives way and James and his group leave Caroline and I back to our original spots.

"He must like Foreigner," I laugh along with Caroline whose glassy eyes show their state of happiness. "You guys would be really cute together."

"You think so?" She asks turning around and watching him walk away.

"Definitely." I confirm.

She turns back towards me with a small smile.

"So are you going to the Blast?" She asks curiously.

"I don't know. If I do I'm going by myself-" Caroline hits me with her textbook again and I pull it out of her hands.

"Stop with the textbook beatings."

"I hit you because you're going with Drake, aren't you?"

"We broke up." I say with a sigh and she gasps.

"What? Why?" She automatically questions.

"It just wouldn't have worked out. He's an Atrian and I'm a human."

"Oh sweet Rachel, what's in a name? That which we call a rose, by any other name would smell as sweet!" Caroline says loudly in my ear before I hit her with the textbook.

"Is that really necessary?" I hiss as she rubs her arm.

"You know I'm right. Besides, Romeo and Juliet applies to your situation perfectly."

"Only some parts but not all of it."

"All. Of. It."

"I can guarantee you that Drake and I are not going to kill ourselves because of a lack of common sense."

"Whatever, but you're still going to the dance."

"How about we get to class now?" I ask and we both start walking until a thought occurs to me.

"Hey, can you do me a favor?"

"Sure, what?" Caroline asks.

"Don't ever quote Romeo and Juliet around me again."


	24. Give Me a Torch, Part 2

_At the Dance..._

"Summer outside, winter inside." Caroline says as we enter the blue illuminated gymnasium. Drapes of white and blue scatter across the floor along with even more snowflakes of different sizes and shapes hanging from various areas. Her date, James does a 360 of the entire gym before turning back to Caroline and I.

"You guys want something to drink?" He asks.

"A drink sounds great!" Caroline replies with a smile. James gives us a thumbs up and eagerly leaves to the punch bowl.

"Isn't he sweet?" She gushes clasping her hand together.

"Sweeter than my grandma's sugar cookies!" I happily say in a high pitched voice and Caroline slaps my arm. "I'm just kidding!"

"Hey, Rachel!" A male voice calls me thus ending our playful banter. I turn around and lose my smile as I see a familiar blonde.

"Hey Cameron." I respond flatly. I knew Cameron from tennis and although we might have shared a kiss or two, he was simply a jerk to me during our time together. Everything I remember about him, his entire personality is characterized through his signature smirk that he is currently sporting. In seconds, he runs his hand through his imaginary long blonde hair and I hear Caroline chuckling behind me.

"I was wondering if you would like to dance with me?" He asks still smirking.

"I think I'm just going to sit this one out."

His face falls before he says, "Oh, that's cool." He then quickly walks away with a flustered step. I turn back to see Caroline who takes our drinks out of James' hands and hands mine to me.

"Don't worry, I tasted it and I'm sure I can guarantee its not spiked!" He announces and we all laugh until a loud voice sounds over all the music and conversation.

"Hello Marshall!" Taylor bellows and the entire gym erupts in applause.

"I'm Taylor Beecham, but you already knew that. Now, who is here to get winter blasted?!" The crowd whoops and cheers before she continues. "You all know the tradition, right? Every year, we have a song sung by one of our new students. And it is my pleasure to introduce Julia Yeung!"

"Go Julia!" I shout with the applauding crowd. Taylor hands Julia the microphone and walks off the stage. The upbeat music starts playing and Julia nervously sways side to side. When she opens her mouth, her voice is quiet and her singing is barely audible. However, it isn't long until Eric joins her on the stage and they both start singing together making the crowd go wild with cheering.

When I turn around from the stage I see Caroline and James dancing with her head on his shoulder and I can't help but smile. Past them I can see Drake walking towards me, his body is surrounded by an outline of dark blue and my smile grows wider. Before he can stop I gesture for him to follow me and lead him towards an area of bunched drapes that is blocking an open entrance to an empty hallway.

"I didn't know you were coming," I say when he stops in front of me.

"I didn't know I was either." Drake laughs pulling me into his embrace. I laugh with him and lay my head on his chest, wrapping my arms around him. I close my eyes and we start to lightly sway as the slow dance music drifts into the hallway.

"Well, I'm happy you're here." Drake is looking down at me and I see him move down for a kiss which I eagerly accept.


	25. This Trick May Scathe You, Part 1

"Here's that paint and extra glitter you guys wanted."

I place the bucket of purple paint on the table and toss the tube of glitter to Emery who raises one hand to catch it.

"Nice catch," Grayson says with a smile. Emery grins in return and I notice her cheeks redden a little before she resumes her painting. She looks over at me and I raise my eyebrows, an action which she immediately shakes her head to. After grabbing a brush, I begin to paint as well until I hear the door close and see Roman and Drake walking in. Without sparing a glance in my direction, Drake pulls up a stool and sits right next to Grayson while Roman stands behind him.

"Can you give us a minute?" Drake asks Emery before turning to look at me.

"We're not going anywhere," Emery answers before Grayson also responds,

"Yeah, anything you need to say to me you can say to them."

"Yeah Drake didn't you hear? Emery is a Red Hawk now." I hear Roman and turn to look at him with an incredulous look.

"Now where did that come from?" I ask him but he turns his head away.

"That's not true," Emery insists and I look back at her with the same look.

"What is this about?" I ask officially confused.

"You've been leading on me for weeks about information on the Trags. I think I've got something for you." Drake tells Grayson who glances at Roman and him before moving closer.

"I'm listening."

"The Trags built a weapon," Drake says hoisting himself up on the table. "Something called a suvek. We think it's some kind of bomb."

"A bomb?" Emery asks.

"We tried to destroy it. It didn't work," Roman states bluntly.

"So, why are you telling me this?" Grayson questions.

"Because we've got a plan B. We're gonna steal the suvek from the Trags. We need your help." Drake answers pointing to Grayson.

"Why don't you tell the SCU?" Emery asks Drake.

"The SCU is a leaked ship," Roman responds. "They have informants on the inside."

"It's true." Drake confirms. "When I was a Trag, Vega always knew ahead of time when the SCU staged a raid."

"Besides, they'd end up holding all Atrians accountable," Roman adds.

"Kiss integration goodbye."

"Unless, of course, that's what you and your Red Hawks really want," Roman says in a snide tone looking at Grayson who stands up.

"No, what I want is to go back to the part where you said you were a Trag." He says staring down Drake. "No, I'm sorry but how do I know this isn't some Trag plot?

"You said it yourself. The keyword is were. He was a Trag." I say in Drake's defense.

"Exactly, I'm no more a Red Hawk than Roman and Drake are Trags. And Grayson doesn't want to end the integration program. If we all just take the testosterone done a notch, you'd see we all want the same thing here. Right?" Emery says before pausing. "So say we actually get our hands on this thing. What are we gonna do with it?"

"We take it to Gloria. She's the only government official that we trust to make sure the Trags are the only Atrians sent to the Crate."

"Have you even thought about how we're gonna get it out of the Sector?" Emery asks and the room goes silent with everyone in thought. I look out of the window and an idea comes into mind.

"Laissez les bon temps rouler," I say aloud. I'm given a strange look by everyone before I continue. "I've got an idea but we'll need help."

_That Night..._

"I'm sorry you want us to do what?"

"We're gonna smuggle the suvek outside using the Mardi Gras unity float. I got Gloria to give us permission to finish building the float in the Sector tomorrow. She's always looking for new ways to promote the integration program. So she's using it as a pr opportunity." Emery explains to everyone in the booth.

"Nothing says unity more than trying to dismantle an Atrain terrorist plot together," Grayson jokes, moving closer to Emery.

"I knew the Trags were vicious but I never thought they'd go this far." Sophia says in complete disbelief.

"Think of it this way: if we fail and the Trags detonate that thing; a whole lot of people are gonna end up dead." Drake looks at me after he speaks and I nod in agreement.

"You know how this 'sumak' thing is gonna wipe us all out? Why aren't we going to the police about this?" Lukas asks.

"Suvek," Roman corrects him. "And even if the police did believe us, there'll be all kinds of Atrian backlash. Not just the Trags."

"How many people know about this?" Sophia asks.

"Just the seven of us. It's safest that way."

"Yeah, so don't go phoning your Red Hawk pals." Roman tells Grayson who opens his mouth to speak but is cut off by Emery.

"Okay, first thing we need to do is figure out where the Trags are keeping it."

"They've got a new hideout. We find that, we find the suvek."

"Can't we just ask Teri or Soroya?" Sophia looks to Roman.

"Nobody's seen or heard from Teri in days. Besides, we don't know where her loyalties lie anymore." Roman says quietly.

"Isn't there anyone in the SCU we can trust?"

"Afraid not but we think we might have a way to use their shadiness to our advantage," Drake implies with a smirk.

"After we find the suvek. Show them the map." Roman tells Drake who reaches in his back pocket and pulls out a folded map. I see Emery and Roman walk away but my attention goes back to Drake when he starts speaking again.

"Alright, here's what we're thinking. Now the SCU guard station is on this side," Drake points on the map. "If we come in from the south we take a left there and they won't see us."

"Are you sure they won't see us?" Lukas asks.

"Positive. This section is hidden by a warehouse plus there is a bunch of tarp and crates that keep us hidden as well," Drake explains moving his hand over the map. "And after we get the suvek, it's a straight shot out of the Sector."

"Great," Lukas sighs with a dry laugh.

"What?" I ask him.

"It's just a lot to take in. It's like, did you think you would wake up this morning knowing the fate of Edendale and the peace between Atrains and humans is in your hands?"

"When you put it like that..." Emery says and we all turn to her with smiles on our faces. "I'll see you all tomorrow." I move out of the booth and we all exchange goodbyes as everyone starts leaving. Eventually, Drake and I are alone after everyone is outside still talking.

"Are you scared?" I ask him playing with my necklace. He nods his head and opens his arms for me to enter his embrace. I wrap my arms around his waist and turn my head to face him.

"Are you?" He asks in whisper.

"Terrified," I say.

I feel his hand rub circles on my back and with a shaky sigh, I close my eyes.

"I'll always protect you. You know that?"

"I know."


End file.
